Murrieta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
La Quinta
Murrieta
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 11%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | La Quinta | Murrieta | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,707 | 112,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $99,250 | $114,081 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,505 | $45,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,097/sq mi | 3,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $661,600 | $639,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,785 | $2,388 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 69.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.0% | 32.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 5.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 672 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 6.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 62.1% | -37.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.0" | 15.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 39.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 53.3 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.62 | 23.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.0% | 52.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
La Quinta
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Murrieta
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: La Quinta, CA · Murrieta, CA · How this is calculated: methodology