Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Huntington Beach, CA
VS
Riverside, CA
🏆 Huntington Beach leads 13 of 22 categories
Huntington Beach
California
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$114,747 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
55 ✓ Safer
Population
197,481
Riverside
California
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
107.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$83,448
Violent Crime Index
155⚠ High
Population
316,076 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Huntington Beach, CA
Pros
65% less violent crime than Riverside
Households earn $31,299 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (207.3 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 46.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.7 pts lower (5.4%)
Cooler summers — July highs near 79°F vs 95°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $976,800
Higher rents — median is $2,318/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 8% higher than Riverside
Riverside, CA
Pros
Homes cost $491k less ($485,500 vs $976,800)
Rent averages $607/mo less ($1,711 vs $2,318)
8% cheaper overall cost of living than Huntington Beach
Cons
Median income trails Huntington Beach by $31,299/yr
Violent crime (589.7/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2832.1/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Key Differences at a Glance
Huntington Beach
Median Income
$31,299
$114,747 vs $83,448/yr
Huntington Beach
Violent Crime
65% lower
207.3 vs 589.7 per 100k
Huntington Beach
Unemployment
0.7 pp lower
5.4% vs 6.1% unemployment
Riverside
Cost of Living
8% cheaper
COL index 107.9 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Riverside
Median Home Value
$491k less
$485,500 vs $976,800
Riverside
Summer Heat
16.4°F warmer
July avg high 95.3°F vs 78.9°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Huntington Beach, CA | Riverside, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 107.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $976,800⚠ High | $485,500⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,318⚠ High | $1,711⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $114,747 ✓ Higher | $83,448 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.1%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.7 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 31.3 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 16.6% ✓ Higher | 8.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 71 ✓ Safer | 147⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 55 ✓ Safer | 155⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 95 ✓ Safer | 135⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (97) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.4:1 | 23.3:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 46.7% ✓ Higher | 24.4% |
| High School or Higher | 93.5% ✓ Higher | 82.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Huntington Beach City Elementary | Riverside Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.0°F | 69.8°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 78.9°F | 95.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.2" | 10.0" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 197,481 | 316,076 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 43.3 ✓ Older | 32.4 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.7% ✓ Higher | 55.5% |
| Under 18 | 17.9% | 23.6% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 18.7% ✓ More | 11.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Huntington Beach's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Riverside's 107.9 (US average = 100).
Riverside is 8% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Huntington Beach leads 13 of 22 categories. Huntington Beach wins 13 and Riverside wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Huntington Beach to Riverside or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($976,800 vs $485,500 median home), income ($114,747 vs $83,448), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Huntington Beach, CA and Riverside, CA are about 39 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.