CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.92° N · 116.48° W · GEOID 0629112

Garnet

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

CaliforniaGarnet, CAGarnetGarnet

The short answer

Garnet is home to 7,382 people. Median household income is $72,694 a year and median rent is $1,907 a month, 31.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $267,900, about 3.7x annual median household income.

The story in Garnet is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 40.8% to 31.5% of income. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs about $274 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 653 California places we track.

6OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Garnet scores better than 6% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 514th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%28
Economy 20%62
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%0
Education 10%4
Commute 10%27
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,907
40% above the median place
Median household income
$72,694
9% below the median place
Median home value
$267,900
16% below the median place
Unemployment
3.3%
33% 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.

What stands out about Garnet

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Home Gardens, CA, Live Oak, CA and Richmond Heights, FL), household income growth here is higher: 13.5% a year against a typical 6.6% a year.
01

Moving to Garnet

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
4.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state. County figure.
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
$76,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,907 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,633 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $267,900.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 3.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Somerton, AZ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.8%
57% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
3.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
4.7%
19% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.7%19% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.8%57% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$76,4178% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$71,2221% above
02

What it costs to live here

Home values are about 30% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

Garnet31.5%
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
$76,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
31.5%
54% above the median place
Home price to income
3.7x
3% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
31%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$49,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Garnet, $1,907 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 Garnet, but easier on the budget

Places that match Garnet 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
Somerton, AZ8014.5% vs 31.5%$16,500Compare
Live Oak, CA7716.5% vs 31.5%$10,400Compare
Hidalgo, TX7417.0% vs 31.5%$4,700Compare
Homestead Meadows North, TX7216.5% vs 31.5%$7,300Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Garnet? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
76.1%
50% above the median place
Median year built1
1992
1% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$2,252
31% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,90740% above
Rent to income131.5%54% above
Property tax rate10.8%8% below
Home price to income13.7x3% below
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$2,25231% below
Median home value1$267,90016% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.3%59% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.3%5% above
Homeownership173.2%10% above
Renters paying 30%+176.1%50% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,63313% below
Vacant homes1County figure10.8%53% above
Median year built119921% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 3.2%, 74% below the median place.

Works from home1
3.2%
74% below the median place
Income per person1
$26,196
35% below the median place
Unemployment1
3.3%
33% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute29 min +16%
Median household income$72,694 −9%
Poverty rate11.2% +4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$72,6949% below
Income per person1$26,19635% below
Unemployment13.3%33% below
Average annual pay6County figure$61,1007% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure846,070above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate111.2%4% above
Mean commute129 min16% above
Works from home13.2%74% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%15% below
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 64.7%, 30% below the median place.

High school or higher1
64.7%
30% below the median place
Born abroad1
45.0%
above the median place (median 8.8%)
Bachelor's or higher1
11.4%
65% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.2 +30%
Homes with broadband84.1% −9%
No health insurance12.5% +95%
Median age38.1 −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,3825214th largest
Median age138.12% below
Bachelor's or higher111.4%65% below
High school or higher164.7%30% below
Household size13.230% above
Born abroad145.0%above (median 8.8%)
No health insurance112.5%95% above
Homes with broadband184.1%9% below
05

Life in Garnet

OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

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 residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
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

  • Joshua Tree National Park 40 miles
  • Joshua Tree Wilderness 63 miles
  • Mojave National Preserve 80 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 site10
39.7
29% above the median place
Public school students12
424,406
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
533
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure533above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure424,406above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure23.049% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.416% below
Shops per 10k8County figure22.725% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure17.414% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1039.729% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure104above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 80, 86% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Garnet. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index15
80
86% above the median place
Good air days15
10.7%
84% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
8.0 in
82% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGarnetAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure101°F16% above
January average low13County figure42°F67% above
Average temperature13County figure69°F25% above
Annual precipitation13County figure8.0 in82% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.98% above
Hurricane risk14County figure12.083% below
Tornado risk14County figure86.76% above
Wildfire risk14County figure100.063% above
Heat wave risk14County figure98.59% above
Median air quality index15County figure8086% above
Good air days15County figure10.7%84% below
08

Garnet in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 31% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 31% 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, Garnet does better than 30% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 34%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,907/mo (2024)$2,480/mo$2,040 to $3,020/mo+4.5%
Median household income$72,694 (2024)$95,000$80,500 to $112,500+4.6%
Median home value$267,900 (2024)$380,000$276,000 to $524,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.7 now.

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

09

Places like Garnet

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

PlaceRentIncome
West Park, FL$2,014$65,952Compare
Forest Hill, TX$1,763$68,457Compare
Marion Oaks, FL$1,658$72,392Compare
Sun Village, CA$1,753$72,173Compare
Sun Village, CAMarion Oaks, FLForest Hill, TXWest Park, FLGarnet, CAGarnetWest ParkForest HillMarion OaksSun VillageGarnetWest ParkForest HillMarion Oaks

Places built like Garnet

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 Garnet performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Garnet, CA31.5%13.5%/yrn/a
Home Gardens, CA25.7%7.2%/yrn/aCompare
Live Oak, CA16.5%6.1%/yr3.9%Compare
Richmond Heights, FL32.0%6.6%/yrn/aCompare
Lahaina, HI27.0%3.2%/yrn/aCompare
Goulds, FL27.7%8.5%/yrn/aCompare
Palmview, TX18.5%8.4%/yr0.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Garnet a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 6 out of 100, better than 6% of the places we rate and 514th of 654 in California. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Home Gardens, CA, Live Oak, CA and Richmond Heights, FL), household income growth here is higher: 13.5% a year against a typical 6.6% a year. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Garnet expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 31.5% 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 $267,900.

What salary do you need to live in Garnet?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $76,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Garnet?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are West Park, FL, Forest Hill, TX, Marion Oaks, FL and Sun Village, CA.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. 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 Garnet with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Garnet itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/garnet-california

Citytistics. “Garnet, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/garnet-california/

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