Riverside County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 0% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 11% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 50% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 47% of US counties
- top 1% for sunny days
- top 5% for comfortable days
- bottom 1% for air quality
Riverside County is a county in California with about 2,429,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include sunny days, comfortable days, and walkability. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and air quality.
- The median home value in Riverside County is $463k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Riverside County is $85k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Riverside County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Riverside County has a violent crime rate of 921/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Riverside County is 34 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
94%78%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.0 in0.2 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$85k91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$69kbetter than 2% of US counties
Home Value$463k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 2% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$514kbetter than 0% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.86%better than 49% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden20.91%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment6.7%better than 18% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)57°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)91°F100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation5.4 in0th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall1.9 inbetter than 72% of US counties
Sunny Days327 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 85% of US counties
Comfortable Days111 daysbetter than 95% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.9better than 0% of US counties
Air Quality79 AQIbetter than 0% of US counties
School Quality67.9better than 72% of US counties
Violent Crime921/100kbetter than 40% of US counties
Property Crime2298/100kbetter than 9% of US counties
Community
Population2,429,487100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age36.313th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6999th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0158th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)32.4%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)6.1%69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)50.8%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.7%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.1%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time34 minbetter than 6% of US counties
Walkability10.7/20better than 95% of US counties
Airport Distance96 mibetter than 51% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.7%better than 94% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 45% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Riverside County an affordable place to live?
- Riverside County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $69k, better than 2% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is Riverside County safe?
- Riverside County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 921/100k (better than 40%). Property crime is 2298/100k.
- What is the weather like in Riverside County?
- Riverside County averages 91°F in July and 57°F in January, with 5.4 in of annual precipitation and about 327 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Riverside County?
- Public-school quality in Riverside County is above average, scoring better than 72% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Riverside County?
- The average one-way commute in Riverside County is 34 min.