Costa Mesa vs Riverside
Costa Mesa, California versus Riverside, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Costa Mesa edges out Riverside on overall objective livability (50 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Costa Mesa | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $83k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $960k | $486k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.67% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.31% | 20.08% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 58°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.2 in | 10.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 256 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 316 days | 140 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 64.7 | 96.0 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 66 AQI |
| School Quality | 83.6 | 61.1 |
| Violent Crime | 1580/100k | 1504/100k |
| Property Crime | 3557/100k | 3240/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 111,490 | 316,076 |
| Median Age | 36.4 | 32.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.62 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 48.8% | 27.3% |
| Black (%) | 1.3% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 36.2% | 55.4% |
| Asian (%) | 8.7% | 8.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.0% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 14.5/20 | 13.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 3 mi | 33 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.7% | 92.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 74.72 | 12.43 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Costa Mesa or Riverside more affordable?
- Riverside has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Costa Mesa's $83k and Riverside's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Costa Mesa versus $2k in Riverside.
- Is Costa Mesa or Riverside safer?
- Riverside has the lower violent crime rate. Costa Mesa reports 1580/100k and Riverside reports 1504/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Costa Mesa or Riverside?
- The median home value is $960k in Costa Mesa and $486k in Riverside, so homes are more affordable in Riverside.