What it's like to live in Calimesa
Calimesa is a small city in California with a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Calimesa deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, and long average commutes.
The good
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
How Calimesa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Calimesa
Based on Calimesa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,566
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,320 a year
- 19% of Calimesa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$89,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,630
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,783/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,783 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $446,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $446,300 · 19% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Riverside County is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Riverside County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 28% below US
237 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1763/100k · Calimesa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 38% above US
36 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 35.8 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (12 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Calimesa's strongest point is a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,783/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone moving without a job lined up, and people who dread long commutes.
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