The Town FilesBlythe, California
City in Riverside County · population 18,317 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $225,000
- Household income
- $56,625
- Jan low / Jul high
- 40° / 110°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.3
Blythe is a city of 18,317 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $225,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 81% of California towns.
How Blythe ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Blythe is worth $225,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $56,625, which is more affordable than 91% of California towns. Median rent is $938 a month. 57.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Blythe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $225,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $938 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $56,625 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 57.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.6% | — |
Who lives in Blythe
| People | Blythe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.2% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.5% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.4% | — |
| Work from home | 3.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 19.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Blythe
July highs average 109.7°F and January lows 40.4°F. About 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 188 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 9 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Blythe since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on August 16, 1973 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 21, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 13, 1979.
Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996
Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Fire | FM-5636: Bain Fire |
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5538: Airport Fire |
| July 21, 2024 | Fire | FM-5515: Hawarden Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Riverside County
Riverside County had 840,433 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,734 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Blythe itself the ACS puts it at 11.7%.
Public schools in Blythe
6 public schools with 2,706 students, about 22.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Verde High | 9-12 | 775 | 19.9 |
| Ruth Brown Elementary | K-8 | 628 | 24.2 |
| Felix J. Appleby Elementary | K-8 | 615 | 22.8 |
| Margaret White Elementary | K-8 | 609 | 23.4 |
| Twin Palms Continuation | 9-12 | 77 | 19.3 |
| Blythe District Preschool | K-K | 2 | — |
Blythe questions
Is Blythe, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Blythe scores better for retirees than 13% of California towns and quieter than 46%. 10.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.3).
How much does a house cost in Blythe?
The median owner-occupied home in Blythe is valued at $225,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,625, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $938 a month.
What is the weather like in Blythe?
July highs average 109.7°F and January lows 40.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 3.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Blythe get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Blythe since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on August 16, 1973. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)