Murrieta and Riverside 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
Riverside
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 38%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs90 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs53 · Bottom 13%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
71 · Top 28%
vs59 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Murrieta | Riverside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,064 | 319,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,081 | $91,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,886 | $34,896 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,166/sq mi | 3,932/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $639,800 | $584,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,388 | $1,914 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.6% | 25.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 672 | 596 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.0 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.0% | 105.5% | 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 | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.8 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.59 | 22.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.4% | 77.1% | 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.
Riverside
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Murrieta, CA · Riverside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology