CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.69° N · 117.26° W · GEOID 0610928

Canyon Lake

Riverside County, California · part of the Riverside, CA metro

CaliforniaCanyon Lake, CACanyon LakeCanyon Lake

The short answer

Canyon Lake is home to 11,119 people. Median household income is $126,926 a year and median rent is $2,608 a month, 24.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $699,600, about 5.5x annual median household income.

Canyon Lake stands out on how people work. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 260 hours a year commuting, more than in 98% of places its size. Also notable: Rent run 28% above what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area.

51OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

Canyon Lake scores better than 51% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 125th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%20
Economy 20%75
Safety 20%90
Amenities 15%42
Education 10%47
Commute 10%0
Growth 5%39
Median gross rent
$2,608
91% above the median place
Median household income
$126,926
58% above the median place
Median home value
$699,600
119% above the median place
Unemployment
4.3%
13% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Canyon Lake

Riverside County gains about 3.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in101,381
Moved out93,994
Net+7,387

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

San Bernardino County, CA20,77517,635+3,140
Los Angeles County, CA20,74210,934+9,808
Orange County, CA16,0978,941+7,156
San Diego County, CA12,7088,425+4,283
Maricopa County, AZ1,4192,705−1,286
Clark County, NV1,4412,516−1,075

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$76K
Leavers$71K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Riverside County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Riverside County report $76,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $71,200, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$104,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,608 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,981 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $699,600.
Getting to work
48 minutes each way on average; 29.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
New River, AZ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.5%
3% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.8%
57% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
3.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.5%3% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.8%57% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure3.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$76,4178% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$71,2221% above
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $2,608, 91% above the median place.

Canyon Lake24.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$104,320
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.7%
21% above the median place
Home price to income
5.5x
45% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$94,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Canyon Lake, $2,608 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Canyon Lake, but easier on the budget

Places that match Canyon Lake on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
New River, AZ8517.4% vs 24.7%$17,300Compare
Litchfield Park, AZ8318.3% vs 24.7%$9,600Compare
Highland Village, TX7618.2% vs 24.7%$36,600Compare
Palm City, FL7619.2% vs 24.7%$10,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Canyon Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Canyon Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$699,600
119% above the median place
Homeownership1
84.8%
28% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,981
59% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,60891% above
Rent to income124.7%21% above
Property tax rate10.8%16% below
Home price to income15.5x45% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure106.46% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,10330% above
HUD area median income4County figure$106,5001% below
Property tax paid (median)1$5,34664% above
Median home value1$699,600119% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.3%59% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.3%5% above
Homeownership184.8%28% above
Renters paying 30%+140.1%21% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,98159% above
Vacant homes18.9%26% above
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

29% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 93% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Mean commute1
48 min
94% above the median place
Works from home1
29.0%
133% above the median place
Median household income1
$126,926
58% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$58,589 +46%
Poverty rate7.3% −33%
Unemployment4.3% −13%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$126,92658% above
Income per person1$58,58946% above
Unemployment14.3%13% below
Average annual pay6County figure$61,1007% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure846,070above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate17.3%33% below
Mean commute148 min94% above
Works from home129.0%133% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%15% below
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 47 years old, older than in 91% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Homes with broadband1
97.3%
5% above the median place
Median age1
47.0
21% above the median place
No health insurance1
4.3%
33% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.7 +8%
High school or higher94.8% +3%
Born abroad5.8% −34%
Bachelor's or higher30.7% −4%
All 9 people measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,1193791st largest
Population change since 202070.3%73% below
Median age147.021% above
Bachelor's or higher130.7%4% below
High school or higher194.8%3% above
Household size12.78% above
Born abroad15.8%34% below
No health insurance14.3%33% below
Homes with broadband197.3%5% above
05

Life in Canyon Lake

OpenStreetMap shows 32.4 parks per 10,000 residents, more than in 95% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1990. 104 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents32.4 3.2×
Playgrounds per 10k12.6 +34%
Grocery stores per 10k0.9 −58%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k6.3 −43%
Libraries per 10k0.9 +3%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −35%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Cabrillo National Monument 70 miles
  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 82 miles
  • Joshua Tree National Park 83 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.4 −16%
Shops22.7 −25%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.3 −20%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.4 −14%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
70.2
128% above the median place
Public school students14
424,406
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools14
533
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure533above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure424,406above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure23.049% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure17.416% below
Shops per 10k9County figure22.725% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure17.414% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k1032.4218% above
Playgrounds per 10k1012.634% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.958% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k106.343% below
Libraries per 10k100.93% above
Named paths and bike trails101.335% below
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1170.2128% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles110below (median 2)
National Register listings12County figure104above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 27 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 1,457 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 417 California places we track.

Violent crime per 100k
27
86% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
501
59% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Median air quality index17
80
86% above the median place
Good air days17
10.7%
84% below the median place
Annual precipitation15
8.0 in
82% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCanyon LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure101°F16% above
January average low15County figure42°F67% above
Average temperature15County figure69°F25% above
Annual precipitation15County figure8.0 in82% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure99.98% above
Hurricane risk16County figure12.083% below
Tornado risk16County figure86.76% above
Wildfire risk16County figure100.063% above
Heat wave risk16County figure98.59% above
Median air quality index17County figure8086% above
Good air days17County figure10.7%84% below
08

Canyon Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 25% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 25% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Canyon Lake does better than 19% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 67%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,608/mo (2024)$3,330/mo$2,730 to $4,060/mo+4.2%
Median household income$126,926 (2024)$160,500$135,500 to $190,000+4.0%
Median home value$699,600 (2024)$1,015,000$737,000 to $1,398,000+6.4%
Population11,113 (2025)11,20010,750 to 11,680+0.2%

The median home would be worth 6.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Canyon Lake

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Damascus, OR$2,654$122,500Compare
Pinole, CA$2,700$127,717Compare
Waikele, HI$2,634$120,525Compare
Citrus Park, AZ$2,863$141,026Compare
Citrus Park, AZWaikele, HIPinole, CADamascus, ORCanyon Lake, CACanyon LakeDamascusPinoleWaikeleCitrus ParkCanyon LakeDamascusPinoleWaikeleCitrus Park

Places built like Canyon Lake

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Canyon Lake performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Canyon Lake, CA24.7%4.7%/yr0.3%
Oakhurst, CA25.3%13.1%/yrn/aCompare
Salmon Creek, WA17.5%7.0%/yrn/aCompare
Lake Shore, WA20.6%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Discovery Bay, CA24.7%2.4%/yrn/aCompare
Maltby, WA14.0%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Brier, WA21.1%0.1%/yr0.8%Compare

Common questions

Is Canyon Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 51 out of 100, better than 51% of the places we rate and 125th of 654 in California. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Canyon Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $699,600.

What salary do you need to live in Canyon Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $104,320 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Canyon Lake safe?

There were 27 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Canyon Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Damascus, OR, Pinole, CA, Waikele, HI and Citrus Park, AZ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Canyon Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Canyon Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/canyon-lake-california

Citytistics. “Canyon Lake, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/canyon-lake-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.