The Town Files

Moreno Valley, California

City in Riverside County · population 208,634 (2020 Census)

Aerial view of Moreno Valley, California
Aerial: USDA NAIP (public domain)
Median home
$503,700
Household income
$93,222
Jan low / Jul high
37° / 94°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
32.5

Moreno Valley is a city of 208,634 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $503,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 83% of California towns, more vibrant than 74% of California towns.

Map: where Moreno Valley is in CaliforniaMoreno Valley
Moreno Valley in our rankings:

How Moreno Valley 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.

Moreno Valley lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement10th pctFamilies52nd pctQuiet15th pctWalkability67th pctFirst-time buyers83rd pctYoung professionals41st pctVibrancy74th pctHip & trendy17th pctCollege town64th pctUpscale31st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling54th pctTransit61st pctDriving69th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Moreno Valley is worth $503,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $93,222, which is more affordable than 69% of California towns. Median rent is $2,135 a month. 63.3% of households own their home.

Moreno Valley vs Riverside County vs typical California townMoreno ValleyRiverside CountyTypical California townHome value$503,700$557,300$596,900Household income$93,222$93,074$91,557Monthly rent$2,135$1,901$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingMoreno ValleyTypical California town
Median home value$503,700$596,900
Median rent$2,135$1,827
Median household income$93,222$91,557
Home value ÷ income5.4×6.4×
Homeownership63.3%67.4%
Median year built19881977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.4%—

Who lives in Moreno Valley

PeopleMoreno ValleyTypical California town
Median age32.540.2
Age 65 and over9.8%17.7%
Under 1825.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line11.7%10.3%
Veterans4.8%—
Born outside the U.S.24.4%—
Work from home8.0%13.4%
Average commute35.5 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband94.6%93.3%

Weather in Moreno Valley

July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 37.4°F. About 10.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 100 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 25 nights at or below freezing.

Moreno Valley monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing66°37°Jan66°38°Feb71°40°Mar74°44°Apr80°51°May87°56°Jun94°62°Jul95°62°Aug92°59°Sep82°49°Oct72°41°Nov65°37°DecPrecipitation (in)2.02.41.50.80.30.10.10.40.20.50.71.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the March Afb station (3.0 mi away); snow from Redlands (7.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Moreno Valley since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 22, 2008 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 9, 2012.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Moreno Valley by decade11950s01960s01970s01980s01990s32000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on August 20, 2014.

Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996

Storm events in Riverside County since 1996 by typeHeat71Flood135Drought104Wildfire233High Wind661Dust Storm46Heavy Rain92Heavy Snow60
NOAA Storm Events Database, Riverside County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 54 deaths recorded.

Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 20, 2026FireFM-5636: Bain Fire
September 11, 2024FireFM-5538: Airport Fire
July 21, 2024FireFM-5515: Hawarden Fire
November 21, 2023HurricaneDR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary
January 9, 2023FloodEM-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 Moreno Valley itself the ACS puts it at 7.1%.

Largest industries in Riverside CountyHealth care & social assistan…132,092 jobs · $53,956Retail94,170 jobs · $44,156Hotels & restaurants90,357 jobs · $32,150Construction74,216 jobs · $73,089Transportation & warehousing73,962 jobs · $62,875Administrative & support50,769 jobs · $45,983
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Riverside County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Riverside 4.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Moreno Valley

51 public schools with 38,794 students, about 22.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Valley View High9-122,78422.6
Canyon Springs High9-122,24021.5
Moreno Valley High9-122,14320.0
Rancho Verde High9-122,05221.4
Vista del Lago High9-121,95320.3
Vista Heights Middle6-81,45423.5
Sunnymead Middle6-81,14719.8
Mountain View Middle6-81,13121.3
Badger Springs Middle6-81,06922.7
Palm Middle6-81,04219.7
Butterfield Language AcademyK-896422.4
Vista Verde Middle6-885321.9

Towns near Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley questions

Is Moreno Valley, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Moreno Valley scores better for retirees than 10% of California towns and quieter than 15%. 9.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.5).

How much does a house cost in Moreno Valley?

The median owner-occupied home in Moreno Valley is valued at $503,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $93,222, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $2,135 a month.

What is the weather like in Moreno Valley?

July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 37.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 10.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Moreno Valley get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Moreno Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Moreno Valley's Census boundary (GEOID 0649270). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.