The Town FilesWinchester, California
Community in Riverside County · population 3,068 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $493,500
- Household income
- $79,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 40° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 30.8
Winchester is a community of 3,068 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $493,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 87% of California towns, better for families than 85% of California towns.
How Winchester 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 Winchester is worth $493,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.2 times the median household income of $79,250, which is more affordable than 55% of California towns. Median rent is $1,658 a month. 68.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Winchester | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $493,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,658 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $79,250 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 68.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1999 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.6% | — |
Who lives in Winchester
| People | Winchester | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 5.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 21.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 8.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.5% | — |
| Work from home | 17.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 45.7 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Winchester
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 40.1°F. About 12.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 120 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 15 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Winchester since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 20, 1974 about 7.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 8, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 2, 1960.
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 Winchester itself the ACS puts it at 2%.
Public schools in Winchester
7 public schools with 7,534 students, about 23.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty High | 9-12 | 2,444 | 25.2 |
| Harvest Hill S.T.E.A.M. Academy | K-8 | 1,459 | 24.7 |
| Temecula Preparatory (charter) | K-12 | 1,083 | 20.4 |
| French Valley Elementary | K-5 | 819 | 23.4 |
| Susan La Vorgna Elementary | K-5 | 614 | 22.7 |
| Winchester Elementary | K-5 | 595 | 22.0 |
| Temecula Valley Charter (charter) | K-8 | 520 | 20.8 |
Towns near Winchester
- Green Acres, CA1.4 mi · 2,918 people · home $325,900
- Homeland, CA3.0 mi · 6,772 people · home $238,200
- Hemet, CA4.8 mi · 89,833 people · home $352,200
- Menifee, CA6.4 mi · 102,527 people · home $537,300
- Nuevo, CA7.0 mi · 6,733 people · home $535,900
- San Jacinto, CA7.5 mi · 53,898 people · home $433,700
- East Hemet, CA7.9 mi · 19,432 people · home $419,700
- French Valley, CA8.1 mi · 35,280 people · home $679,800
Winchester questions
Is Winchester, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Winchester scores better for retirees than 15% of California towns and quieter than 52%. 5.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.8).
How much does a house cost in Winchester?
The median owner-occupied home in Winchester is valued at $493,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,250, so homes cost about 6.2 times income. Median rent is $1,658 a month.
What is the weather like in Winchester?
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 40.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Winchester get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Winchester since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 20, 1974. 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)