Riverside vs San Bernardino
Riverside, California versus San Bernardino, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Riverside and San Bernardino score about the same overall (40 vs 37 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Riverside | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $83k | $61k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $486k | $347k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $50k | $31k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.66% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.08% | 20.12% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 7.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 55°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.0 in | 21.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 22.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 140 days | 142 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.0 | 91.3 |
| Air Quality | 66 AQI | 77 AQI |
| School Quality | 61.1 | 77.2 |
| Violent Crime | 1504/100k | 2630/100k |
| Property Crime | 3240/100k | 2955/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 316,076 | 221,041 |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 31.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.73 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 27.3% | 13.8% |
| Black (%) | 5.4% | 11.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 55.4% | 67.5% |
| Asian (%) | 8.2% | 4.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 13.5/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 33 mi | 46 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.6% | 83.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 12.43 | 7.06 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
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 Riverside or San Bernardino more affordable?
- San Bernardino has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Riverside's $83k and San Bernardino's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Riverside versus $1k in San Bernardino.
- Is Riverside or San Bernardino safer?
- Riverside has the lower violent crime rate. Riverside reports 1504/100k and San Bernardino reports 2630/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Riverside or San Bernardino?
- The median home value is $486k in Riverside and $347k in San Bernardino, so homes are more affordable in San Bernardino.