Murrieta and Rialto receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Murrieta
Rialto
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs90 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs62 · Bottom 22%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
71 · Top 28%
vs59 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Murrieta | Rialto | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,064 | 104,143 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,081 | $88,857 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,886 | $27,742 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,166/sq mi | 4,323/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $639,800 | $487,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,388 | $1,759 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.6% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 672 | 162 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.0 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.0% | 362.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.3" | 9.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.8 min | 33.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 32.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.59 | 23.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.4% | 84.6% | 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
Murrieta
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Rialto
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Murrieta, CA · Rialto, CA · How this is calculated: methodology