What it's like to live in Riverside

Riverside is a large city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Riverside deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Crime above national average
  • Above-average commute times
  • Air quality concerns
  • High student-teacher ratio

How Riverside compares

Median household income

Riverside$91,045
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Riverside$1,914
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Riverside$584,800
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Riverside

Based on Riverside's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,828

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $76,560 a year
  • 56% of Riverside renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$116,960

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $58,480
  • Homes cost 6.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 35% above US

$1,914/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $1,914 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 $584,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $584,800 · 56% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 14% above US

4.9% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 63% above US

535 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 2180/100k · Riverside Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 20% above US

31 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 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. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
73%
Carpool
11%
Work from home
11%
Walk
2.4%
Other
2.0%
Public transit
1.4%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°50°70°90°110°2.5"Jan: 2.19" precipitationFeb: 2.47" precipitationMar: 1.58" precipitationApr: 0.58" precipitationMay: 0.20" precipitationJun: 0.08" precipitationJul: 0.12" precipitationAug: 0.13" precipitationSep: 0.15" precipitationOct: 0.44" precipitationNov: 0.68" precipitationDec: 1.40" precipitationJJan: high 70°F, low 43°FFFeb: high 70°F, low 44°FMMar: high 73°F, low 46°FAApr: high 78°F, low 50°FMMay: high 81°F, low 55°FJJun: high 89°F, low 59°FJJul: high 95°F, low 64°F97°AAug: high 97°F, low 65°FSSep: high 93°F, low 62°FOOct: high 84°F, low 55°FNNov: high 76°F, low 47°F42°DDec: high 69°F, low 42°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

4 hospitals

There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 29% below US

26% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

79 public schools inside the boundary

There are 79 public schools inside the boundary and 17 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (11 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Riverside's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,914/mo) equals 25% 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 who doesn't drive.

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