The Town FilesMurrieta, California
City in Riverside County · population 110,949 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $639,800
- Household income
- $114,081
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 36.6
Murrieta is a city of 110,949 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $639,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 79% of California towns, more vibrant than 73% of California towns.
How Murrieta 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 Murrieta is worth $639,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $114,081, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $2,388 a month. 69.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Murrieta | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $639,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,388 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $114,081 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 69.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 2000 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.2% | — |
Who lives in Murrieta
| People | Murrieta | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 26.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 9.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 16.6% | — |
| Work from home | 16.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 37.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.1% | 93.3% |
Weather in Murrieta
July highs average 87.2°F and January lows 47.4°F. About 15.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.3 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 61 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Murrieta since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on February 19, 2005 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 8, 2022.
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 Murrieta itself the ACS puts it at 6.8%.
Public schools in Murrieta
25 public schools with 25,561 students, about 24.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Murrieta High | 9-12 | 3,382 | 23.8 |
| Murrieta Mesa High | 9-12 | 2,228 | 24.0 |
| Murrieta Valley High | 9-12 | 2,173 | 23.4 |
| Thompson Middle | 6-8 | 1,595 | 25.7 |
| Dorothy McElhinney Middle | 6-8 | 1,442 | 26.7 |
| Bella Vista Middle | 6-8 | 1,299 | 24.1 |
| Shivela Middle | 6-8 | 1,203 | 25.6 |
| Cole Canyon Elementary | K-5 | 1,062 | 26.6 |
| Lisa J. Mails Elementary | K-5 | 977 | 25.7 |
| Murrieta Elementary | K-5 | 904 | 25.8 |
| Alta Murrieta Elementary | K-5 | 903 | 25.8 |
| Oak Meadows Elementary | K-5 | 846 | 23.5 |
Towns near Murrieta
- Wildomar, CA4.9 mi · 36,875 people · home $552,400
- French Valley, CA5.2 mi · 35,280 people · home $679,800
- Temecula, CA6.5 mi · 110,003 people · home $679,700
- Menifee, CA8.1 mi · 102,527 people · home $537,300
- Canyon Lake, CA9.0 mi · 11,082 people · home $699,600
- Lake Elsinore, CA11.4 mi · 70,265 people · home $566,000
- Lakeland Village, CA11.4 mi · 12,364 people · home $463,500
- Winchester, CA11.8 mi · 3,068 people · home $493,500
Murrieta questions
Is Murrieta, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Murrieta scores better for retirees than 29% of California towns and quieter than 22%. 12.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).
How much does a house cost in Murrieta?
The median owner-occupied home in Murrieta is valued at $639,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $114,081, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $2,388 a month.
What is the weather like in Murrieta?
July highs average 87.2°F and January lows 47.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.3 inches of precipitation a year and 3.3 inches of snow.
Does Murrieta get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Murrieta since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on February 19, 2005. 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)