Is Moreno Valley, CA a Good Place to Live?
Moreno Valley is a mid-sized city of 209,578 in California, with a median household income of $82,637 and a 7.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.
Strengths: Moreno Valley stands out for lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Moreno Valley is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Moreno Valley city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 107.9Moreno Valley's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Moreno Valley costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Moreno Valley, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $421,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,858 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $82,637 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageMoreno Valley's violent crime rate is 272.5 per 100,000 residents — 28% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Moreno Valley is served primarily by Moreno Valley Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Moreno Valley, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Moreno Valley Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 23 | — |
| Middle Schools | 6 | — |
| High Schools | 6 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 22.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 17.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 79.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Moreno Valley sees average highs of 65.8°F in January and 94.1°F in July, with 10.7 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Moreno Valley, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 65.8°F |
| Average High — July | 94.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Moreno Valley, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 209,578 | — |
| Median Age | 31.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 35.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 25.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 17.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 47.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 5.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 9.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley, CA is covered by 4 ZIP codes: