What it's like to live in Redlands
Redlands is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Redlands deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Redlands compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Redlands
Based on Redlands's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,010
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $80,200 a year
- 45% of Redlands renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$123,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $61,890
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 42% above US
$2,005/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,005 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 $618,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $618,900 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 17% below US
272 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1983/100k · Redlands Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 15% above US
42% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 42% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (13 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Redlands's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,005/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
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