What it's like to live in Grand Terrace
Grand Terrace is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Grand Terrace deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Grand Terrace compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Grand Terrace
Based on Grand Terrace's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,048
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $80,960 a year
- 61% of Grand Terrace renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$103,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $51,760
- Homes cost 6.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 43% above US
$2,024/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,024 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $517,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $517,600 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in San Bernardino County is 5.4%, 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.
San Bernardino County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 25% below US
247 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 1028/100k · Grand Terrace Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 44°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 21% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. 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
Nothing in Grand Terrace's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,024/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone moving without a job lined up.
See all the data for Grand Terrace →·All California cities →
Other places near Grand Terrace
All California guides →Moving to Colton →
2 mi away · pop. 53,772
Rent $1,661/mo · Income $71,208
Compare with Grand Terrace →Moving to Loma Linda →
4 mi away · pop. 25,122
Rent $1,855/mo · Income $82,353
Compare with Grand Terrace →Moving to Bloomington →
5 mi away · pop. 25,698
Rent $1,609/mo · Income $81,640
Compare with Grand Terrace →Moving to Rialto →
7 mi away · pop. 104,143
Rent $1,759/mo · Income $88,857
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