Median Income
$83,448
household / year
Median Home Value
$485,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,711
gross / month
Cost of Living
108
national avg = 100

Is Riverside, CA a Good Place to Live?

Riverside is a large city of 316,076 in California, with a median household income of $83,448 and a 6.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.

Strengths: Riverside's profile is close to national averages across most measures.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Riverside is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Riverside 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: 107.9

Riverside's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Riverside costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.

Metric Riverside, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $485,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,711 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 55.5% 65.9%
Median Household Income $83,448 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Riverside's violent crime rate is 589.7 per 100,000 residents — 55% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
589.7 /100k
Property Crime
2832.1 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Riverside is served primarily by Riverside Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Riverside, CA National Avg
School District Riverside Unified —
Elementary Schools 29 —
Middle Schools 7 —
High Schools 10 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 23.3:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.4% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 82.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Riverside sees average highs of 69.8°F in January and 95.3°F in July, with 10.0 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricRiverside, CA
Average High — January69.8°F
Average High — July95.3°F
Annual Precipitation10.0"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricRiverside, CANational Avg
Population316,076—
Median Age32.438.9
Unemployment Rate6.1%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)45.2%59.3%
Black or African American5.8%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino35.8%18.9%
Asian8.5%6.3%
Under 1823.6%22.2%
65 and over11.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Woodcrest, CA 4 mi El Sobrante CDP (Riverside County), CA 6 mi Jurupa Valley, CA 6 mi Highgrove, CA 7 mi March ARB, CA 7 mi

ZIP Codes in Riverside

Riverside, CA is covered by 8 ZIP codes:

92507 92506 92504 92503 92505 92508 92501 92521

Riverside vs Other Cities

Riverside, CA vs Woodcrest, CA Riverside, CA vs El Sobrante CDP (Riverside County), CA Riverside, CA vs Jurupa Valley, CA Riverside, CA vs Highgrove, CA Riverside, CA vs March ARB, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Riverside's cost of living index is 108, where 100 is the national average. That puts Riverside roughly 8% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $485,500 and median rent is $1,711/month.
Riverside's violent crime rate is 589.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2832.1 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Riverside are operated by Riverside Unified. The district has 29 elementary, 7 middle, and 10 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.3:1. 24.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Riverside, CA has a population of 316,076, a median household income of $83,448, and an unemployment rate of 6.1%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Riverside averages 69.8°F in January and 95.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 10.0 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Riverside, CA is covered by 8 ZIP codes: 92507, 92506, 92504, 92503, 92505, 92508, 92501, 92521.
The population of Riverside, California is 316,076 with a median age of 32.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Riverside: cost of living index 108 (100 = US average), median home $485,500, median household income $83,448, crime index 147 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Riverside side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.