1st Advantage MortgageIn Riverside County, California, the typical household earns $93,074 a year and the typical rent is $1,901. Whatever your own numbers, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and verify the lender is licensed in California before sharing details.
On this page
- Riverside County by the numbers
- How Riverside County residents earn a living
- What Riverside County households earn
- Renting and owning in Riverside County
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Riverside County
- How Riverside County compares with nearby counties
- Riverside County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- What the numbers mean for Riverside County borrowers
- A Riverside County household budget, worked through
- Who licenses lenders for Riverside County residents
- A Riverside County borrower's checklist
- More guides for Riverside County
- Frequently asked questions
Riverside County by the numbers
With an estimated 2,478,600 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Riverside County ranks 4th of 58 in California for population. It covers 7,209 square miles of land, or about 344 people per square mile. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metropolitan area. Riverside is the biggest of its 75 Census places, at roughly 319,069 people (13% of the county total).
How Riverside County residents earn a living
By the Census industry count, 21% of employed Riverside County residents work in education and health care and 12% in retail trade. Construction stands out: 9% of workers here, versus 7% statewide. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 6.5% in Riverside County. 28% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 12% work from home. 4.3% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Riverside County | Gap to California |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.2% | -0.9 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.2% | +2.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 10.8% | -3.7 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 10.7% | +1.2 pts |
| Construction | 9.2% | +2.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 7.9% | -0.9 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
What Riverside County households earn
At $93,074, the typical Riverside County household income is 42% above the median U.S. county ($65,681). Only 21 California counties post a higher median.
| Income band | Share in Riverside County | Difference from California |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 17.4% | -0.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 35.9% | +3.2 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 31.9% | +2.8 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 14.8% | -5.7 pts |
The spread is wide: 47% of Riverside County households make $100,000 or more, and 17% make less than $35,000. The poverty rate is 10.6%, 1 point lower than the state's 12.0%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.438 here. None of these numbers decides a Riverside County application. Lenders weigh your own documented income against your own debts.
Renting and owning in Riverside County
A typical Riverside County rental runs $1,901 a month including utilities, which is 7% below California. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 59% of renter households here. With a median value of $557,300, a typical Riverside County house costs 6.0 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 69%. The median year built is 1990.
| Housing | Riverside County | California statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,901/mo | $2,036/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $557,300 | $734,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 69% | 56% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 59% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 40% | 38% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 8.7% | 3.5% | n/a |
High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Riverside County
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 75 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 97% of Riverside County residents live in one of the 75. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $37,429 in Desert Edge to $165,682 in El Sobrante. 4 of them have a separate city guide (linked). For the rest, this is the local guide.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | city | 319,069 | $91,045 | $1,914 | 81 mi |
| Moreno Valley | city | 211,666 | $93,222 | $2,135 | 70 mi |
| Corona | city | 159,670 | $109,242 | $2,228 | 90 mi |
| Murrieta | city | 112,064 | $114,081 | $2,388 | 69 mi |
| Temecula | city | 111,167 | $121,063 | $2,347 | 67 mi |
| Menifee | city | 110,305 | $93,454 | $2,110 | 68 mi |
| Jurupa Valley | city | 107,011 | $97,550 | $1,741 | 86 mi |
| Indio | city | 91,950 | $77,167 | $1,437 | 13 mi |
| Hemet | city | 91,326 | $57,719 | $1,575 | 57 mi |
| Perris | city | 80,511 | $88,911 | $1,876 | 70 mi |
| Lake Elsinore | city | 72,461 | $101,888 | $2,078 | 77 mi |
| Eastvale | city | 70,633 | $160,069 | $3,252 | 92 mi |
| Beaumont | city | 56,266 | $107,118 | $1,681 | 56 mi |
| San Jacinto | city | 55,180 | $80,647 | $1,615 | 57 mi |
How Riverside County compares with nearby counties
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (60 to 133 miles). Orange County leads the group on income ($116,289), La Paz County trails ($49,478), and Riverside County out-earns 4 of the six. Some neighbors are in Arizona. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Riverside County resident follows California rules.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County | - | $93,074 | $1,901/mo | 69% |
| Imperial County, CA | 60 mi | $57,681 | $1,056/mo | 57% |
| San Diego County, CA | 66 mi | $106,268 | $2,246/mo | 55% |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 79 mi | $85,478 | $1,801/mo | 62% |
| Orange County, CA | 102 mi | $116,289 | $2,434/mo | 56% |
| La Paz County, AZ | 113 mi | $49,478 | $802/mo | 72% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 133 mi | $90,112 | $1,954/mo | 46% |
Riverside County residents: age, schooling, coverage
26% of Riverside County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 7.7%, against 6.6% for California.
| Indicator | Riverside County | All of California | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 25.6% | 37.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 16.5% | 15.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 7.7% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.3% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 12.3% | 17.2% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 12.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 6.5% | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Riverside County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 19.6% |
| 15 to 29 min | 31.7% |
| 30 to 44 min | 20.9% |
| 45 to 59 min | 9.4% |
| 60+ min | 18.4% |
What the numbers mean for Riverside County borrowers
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Riverside County borrowers.
- Keeping the car running. At 28% with long commutes, repairs are a frequent Riverside County emergency; first decide if the car is worth fixing.
- Six-figure budgets. For the 47% earning $100,000 or more, lifestyle creep, not approval, is the usual problem.
- 59% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
A Riverside County household budget, worked through
How much room does a median Riverside County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- Median income divided by twelve: $7,756 before taxes
- Housing at the median rent of $1,901 uses 25%
- At 43%, room after rent is $1,434 a month
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Riverside County's.
Who licenses lenders for Riverside County residents
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Riverside County, check the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Federal complaints: consumerfinance.gov. The California guide covers state rules in more detail.
A Riverside County borrower's checklist
Quick steps for Riverside County:
- Borrow the amount the job needs; extra cash adds interest.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Verify the California license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
More guides for Riverside County
Guides that cover parts of Riverside County:
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Riverside County household make?
About $93,074 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 6% below the California median.
Is Riverside County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,901 against $2,036 statewide, and 59% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I live in a small Riverside County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Murrieta, Temecula and 70 more.
Are Riverside County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.
Where can someone in Riverside County check a lender's license?
With the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.