The Town FilesRiverside, California
City in Riverside County · population 314,998 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $584,800
- Household income
- $91,045
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 33.6
Riverside is a city of 314,998 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $584,800, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 85% of California towns, more walkable than 81% of California towns, better transit than 80% of California towns.
How Riverside 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 Riverside is worth $584,800, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.4 times the median household income of $91,045, which is more affordable than 50% of California towns. Median rent is $1,914 a month. 56.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Riverside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $584,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,914 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $91,045 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 56.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Riverside
| People | Riverside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.4% | — |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 31.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Riverside
July highs average 95.3°F and January lows 43.0°F. About 10.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 110 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Riverside 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 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 22, 2008.
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 Riverside itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Riverside
82 public schools with 56,890 students, about 22.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. High | 9-12 | 2,813 | 24.7 |
| Polytechnic High | 9-12 | 2,633 | 25.8 |
| Ramona High | 9-12 | 2,190 | 23.3 |
| John W. North High | 9-12 | 2,089 | 23.0 |
| Arlington High | 9-12 | 1,967 | 24.0 |
| Norte Vista High | 9-12 | 1,905 | 20.7 |
| Hillcrest High | 9-12 | 1,782 | 23.1 |
| La Sierra High | 9-12 | 1,461 | 19.2 |
| Ysmael Villegas Middle | 6-8 | 1,165 | 22.4 |
| Mark Twain Elementary | K-6 | 1,038 | 25.3 |
| Loma Vista Middle | 6-8 | 1,023 | 22.2 |
| Jefferson Elementary | K-6 | 916 | 24.8 |
Towns near Riverside
- Woodcrest, CA4.3 mi · 15,378 people · home $786,300
- El Sobrante, CA6.0 mi · 14,039 people · home $836,300
- Jurupa Valley, CA6.2 mi · 105,053 people · home $574,600
- Highgrove, CA6.9 mi · 7,515 people · home $625,800
- Grand Terrace, CA7.9 mi · 13,150 people · home $517,600
- Home Gardens, CA7.9 mi · 11,203 people · home $538,700
- Lake Mathews, CA7.9 mi · 5,972 people · home $760,900
- Bloomington, CA8.4 mi · 24,339 people · home $469,200
Riverside questions
Is Riverside, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Riverside scores better for retirees than 13% of California towns and quieter than 14%. 12.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.6).
How much does a house cost in Riverside?
The median owner-occupied home in Riverside is valued at $584,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $91,045, so homes cost about 6.4 times income. Median rent is $1,914 a month.
What is the weather like in Riverside?
July highs average 95.3°F and January lows 43.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 10.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Riverside get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Riverside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008. 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)