Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Menifee, CA
VS
San Bernardino, CA
🏆 Menifee leads 13 of 22 categories
Menifee
California
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
107.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$87,871 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
48 ✓ Safer
Population
103,680
San Bernardino
California
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
107.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$61,323
Violent Crime Index
236⚠ High
Population
221,041 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Menifee, CA
Pros
80% less violent crime than San Bernardino
Households earn $26,548 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (182.8 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.5 pts lower (7.1%)
More college-educated — 20.8% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,946/mo
Pricier housing — median home is $442,600
Longer commutes — 42.5 min average each way
San Bernardino, CA
Pros
Rent averages $627/mo less ($1,319 vs $1,946)
Homes cost $96k less ($347,100 vs $442,600)
Commutes run 14 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Menifee by $26,548/yr
Violent crime (897.1/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2897.7/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Key Differences at a Glance
Menifee
Median Income
$26,548
$87,871 vs $61,323/yr
Menifee
Violent Crime
80% lower
182.8 vs 897.1 per 100k
Menifee
Unemployment
0.5 pp lower
7.1% vs 7.6% unemployment
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 107.9 on the COL index
San Bernardino
Median Home Value
$96k less
$347,100 vs $442,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Menifee, CA | San Bernardino, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 107.9⚠ High | 107.9⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $442,600⚠ High | $347,100⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,946⚠ High | $1,319 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $87,871 ✓ Higher | $61,323 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.1%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 42.5 min⚠ High | 28.5 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 10.9% ✓ Higher | 5.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 44 ✓ Safer | 197⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 48 ✓ Safer | 236⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 38 ✓ Safer | 138⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C- (64) | C (81) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 23.6:1 | 20.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.8% ✓ Higher | 12.8% |
| High School or Higher | 87.5% ✓ Higher | 72.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Menifee Union | San Bernardino City Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 65.7°F | 66.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 96.5°F ✓ Warmer | 95.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.9" ✓ Drier | 21.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" | 0.0" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 103,680 | 221,041 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.3 ✓ Older | 31.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 80.5% ✓ Higher | 48.9% |
| Under 18 | 25.7% | 27.9% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 17.1% ✓ More | 9.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Menifee's cost of living index is 107.9 vs San Bernardino's 107.9 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Menifee leads 13 of 22 categories. Menifee wins 13 and San Bernardino 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 Menifee to San Bernardino or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($442,600 vs $347,100 median home), income ($87,871 vs $61,323), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Menifee, CA and San Bernardino, CA are about 32 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.