Riverside CA
California · Pop. 319,069
Riverside, CA: median household income of $91,045, median rent of $1,914/mo, 6.3% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$91,045
per year
Median Rent
$1,914
per month
Median Home
$585k
home value
Unemployment
6.3%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
12.2%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
31 min
one way
City Reality Check honest
"Riverside, CA Reality Check"
In Riverside, the rent-to-income burden runs around 25% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $91,045 and median rent is $1,914/month. A staggering 56% of renters here are housing-cost-burdened — spending 30% or more of their income just to keep a roof overhead. Median home value: $584,800 — that's 6.4× the median income. Employment picture: 6.34% unemployment — a average employment landscape. Poverty rate: 12.2%. Average commute: 31 minutes — soul-taxing. Violent crime: 30.6/100k avg monthly rate (4832 reported); Property crime: 193.1/100k avg monthly rate (30490 reported). Riverside was founded in 1870 — that's 156 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 81.4 sq miles at 3,918 people/sq mile — spread out. Elevation: 2,713 ft — high-altitude living. Riverside has 9 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 56/100 — It Depends.
Local Context
Safety
/100Violent crime: 30.6/100k avg monthly rate (4832 reported); Property crime: 193.1/100k avg monthly rate (30490 reported).