CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.83° N · 117.29° W · GEOID 0646646

Mead Valley

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

CaliforniaMead Valley, CAMead ValleyMead Valley

The short answer

Mead Valley is home to 19,286 people. Median household income is $86,795 a year and median rent is $1,926 a month, 26.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $446,200, about 5.1x annual median household income.

Mead Valley stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 225 hours a year commuting, more than in 91% of places its size.

1OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Mead Valley scores better than 1% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 606th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%18
Economy 20%35
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%20
Education 10%3
Commute 10%15
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
$1,926
41% above the median place
Median household income
$86,795
8% above the median place
Median home value
$446,200
40% above the median place
Unemployment
7.8%
59% above 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 Mead Valley

  • Who lives here11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 97% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Mead Valley

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
$77,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,926 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,042 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $446,200.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 9.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Valinda, CA 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
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 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

Owning with a mortgage costs only about $116 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Mead Valley26.6%
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
$77,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
26.6%
30% above the median place
Home price to income
5.1x
35% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$62,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Mead Valley, $1,926 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 Mead Valley, but easier on the budget

Places that match Mead Valley 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
Valinda, CA6621.9% vs 26.6%$14,200Compare
Soledad, CA6021.0% vs 26.6%$12,700Compare
North Bay Shore, NY5913.5% vs 26.6%$54,100Compare
Waipahu, HI5819.2% vs 26.6%$16,700Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Mead Valley? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.6%
38% below the median place
Median home value1
$446,200
40% above the median place
Homeownership1
72.1%
9% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,92641% above
Rent to income126.6%30% above
Property tax rate10.6%38% below
Home price to income15.1x35% 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$2,50423% below
Median home value1$446,20040% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.3%59% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.3%5% above
Homeownership172.1%9% above
Renters paying 30%+153.8%6% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,0429% above
Vacant homes18.3%18% above
Median year built119790% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $24,760, 38% below the median place.

Income per person1
$24,760
38% below the median place
Unemployment1
7.8%
59% above the median place
Mean commute1
32 min
29% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home9.0% −28%
Median household income$86,795 +8%
Poverty rate9.6% −11%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$86,7958% above
Income per person1$24,76038% below
Unemployment17.8%59% above
Average annual pay6County figure$61,1007% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure846,070above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate19.6%11% below
Mean commute132 min29% above
Works from home19.0%28% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%15% below
04

Who lives here

Households average 4.60 people, larger than than in 99% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 655 California places we track.

Household size1
4.6
84% above the median place
High school or higher1
63.1%
32% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
10.5%
67% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad37.4% 4.2×
Median age31.2 −20%
No health insurance14.9% 2.3×
Homes with broadband95.6% +4%
All 8 people measures
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population119,2862397th largest
Median age131.220% below
Bachelor's or higher110.5%67% below
High school or higher163.1%32% below
Household size14.684% above
Born abroad137.4%323% above
No health insurance114.9%133% above
Homes with broadband195.6%4% above
05

Life in Mead Valley

The nearest National Park Service site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, about 78 miles away.

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 residents2.1 −80%
Playgrounds per 10k1.0 −89%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.5 −95%
Libraries per 10k1.0 +20%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.2 −24%

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

  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 78 miles
  • Cabrillo National Monument 80 miles
  • Joshua Tree National Park 84 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
77.8
153% 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
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 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 10k92.180% below
Playgrounds per 10k91.089% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.595% below
Libraries per 10k91.020% above
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.224% below
Nearest National Park Service site1077.8153% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
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 Mead Valley. 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
MeasureMead ValleyAmong 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

Mead Valley in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 27% 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, Mead Valley does better than 17% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 81%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,926/mo (2024)$2,510/mo$2,060 to $3,060/mo+4.5%
Median household income$86,795 (2024)$112,000$94,500 to $132,500+4.3%
Median home value$446,200 (2024)$656,000$476,000 to $904,000+6.6%

The median home would be worth 5.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.1 now.

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

09

Places like Mead Valley

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

PlaceRentIncome
Perris, CA$1,876$88,911Compare
Lakeland Village, CA$1,858$85,748Compare
Rialto, CA$1,759$88,857Compare
Bay Point, CA$2,063$82,565Compare
Bay Point, CARialto, CALakeland Village, CAPerris, CAMead Valley, CAMead ValleyPerrisBay PointMead ValleyPerrisBay Point

Places built like Mead Valley

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 Mead Valley performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Mead Valley, CA26.6%8.0%/yrn/a
Livingston, CA21.2%6.3%/yr3.9%Compare
Bloomington, CA23.7%9.4%/yrn/aCompare
Greenfield, CA24.4%7.3%/yr11.6%Compare
South San Jose Hills, CA23.8%6.2%/yrn/aCompare
North Bay Shore, NY13.5%9.7%/yrn/aCompare
Good Hope, CA32.2%3.5%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Mead Valley a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 1 out of 100, better than 1% of the places we rate and 606th of 654 in California. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 97% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 53 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Mead Valley expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 26.6% 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 $446,200.

What salary do you need to live in Mead Valley?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $77,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Mead Valley?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Perris, CA, Lakeland Village, CA, Rialto, CA and Bay Point, 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 Mead Valley with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Mead Valley itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mead-valley-california

Citytistics. “Mead Valley, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/mead-valley-california/

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