Mission Viejo vs Riverside
Mission Viejo, 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.
Mission Viejo edges out Riverside on overall objective livability (48 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Mission Viejo | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $137k | $83k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $884k | $486k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.62% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.20% | 20.08% |
| Unemployment | 4.4% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.3 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 | 254 days | 140 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 82.5 | 96.0 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 66 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.4 | 61.1 |
| Violent Crime | 368/100k | 1504/100k |
| Property Crime | 1214/100k | 3240/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 93,233 | 316,076 |
| Median Age | 46.0 | 32.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 60.9% | 27.3% |
| Black (%) | 1.1% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.7% | 55.4% |
| Asian (%) | 13.6% | 8.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 12.2/20 | 13.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 33 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.4% | 92.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 63.71 | 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 Mission Viejo or Riverside more affordable?
- Riverside has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Mission Viejo's $83k and Riverside's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Mission Viejo versus $2k in Riverside.
- Is Mission Viejo or Riverside safer?
- Mission Viejo has the lower violent crime rate. Mission Viejo reports 368/100k and Riverside reports 1504/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Mission Viejo or Riverside?
- The median home value is $884k in Mission Viejo and $486k in Riverside, so homes are more affordable in Riverside.