Temecula receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Murrieta
Temecula
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs58 · Top 45%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
71 · Top 28%
vs72 · Top 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Murrieta | Temecula | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,064 | 111,167 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,081 | $121,063 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,886 | $47,086 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,166/sq mi | 2,990/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $639,800 | $679,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,388 | $2,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 68.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.6% | 38.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 7.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 672 | 257 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.0 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.0% | -1.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.3" | 15.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.8 min | 38.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.59 | 24.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.4% | 43.0% | 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.
Temecula
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Murrieta, CA · Temecula, CA · How this is calculated: methodology