Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety47#8,200/15,637
Economy73#4,280/15,631
Housing11#13,281/14,977
Health68#5,048/15,609
Healthcare50#7,776/15,650
Environment1#15,336/15,453
Education18#12,895/15,649
Infrastructure68#4,943/15,650
Community15#13,292/15,651
Leisure & amenities26#11,584/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Murrieta, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Riverside County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Comfortable days · high36.3%
96/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationRiverside County value
Child poverty rate · low5.4%
95/100California 14.6%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Broadband subscriptions · high96.1%
90/100California 93.5%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Median household income · high$114,081
85/100California $100,130United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Adult smoking · low10.1%
84/100California 12.6%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Poverty rate · low5.4%
82/100California 11.8%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Weaknesses

Median Air Quality Index · high80
0/100California 602025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRiverside County value
Average commute time · high37.4 min
1/100California 28.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
High ozone days · high100 days
1/100California 38 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRiverside County value
Days with unhealthy air · high29.9%
1/100California 12.4%2025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRiverside County value
Students per teacher · high22.8×
1/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsRiverside County value
Natural hazard risk · high98.8
1/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyRiverside County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Median household incomeImproving
$90,535 (2015-2019) → $114,081 (2020-2024)
+26%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateImproving
9.9% (2015-2019) → 5.4% (2020-2024)
−4.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.6× (2015-2019) → 5.6× (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
92.5% (2015-2019) → 96.1% (2020-2024)
+3.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
55.5% (2015-2019) → 58.6% (2020-2024)
+3.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateImproving
8.1% (2015-2019) → 5.4% (2020-2024)
−2.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Murrieta, California improved on 5 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved5

Child poverty−4.6 points9.9% → 5.4%
Poverty−2.8 points8.1% → 5.4%
Uninsured−1.4 points6.7% → 5.2%
Household income+26%$90,535 → $114,081
Broadband+3.6 points92.5% → 96.1%

Declined1

Price / income+1.0×4.6× → 5.6×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Murrieta, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	35.7 min2015-2019	37.4 min2020-2024	+1.7 min	Within the margin of error	30%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.3%2015-2019	32.6%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Broadband subscriptions	92.5%2015-2019	96.1%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	24%
Child poverty rate	9.9%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−4.6 points	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	1.12%2015-2019	0.87%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	66%
High school diploma or higher	91.6%2015-2019	93.3%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Home price to income ratio	4.6×2015-2019	5.6×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	21%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4072015-2019	0.4022020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	55%
Median household income	$90,5352015-2019	$114,0812020-2024	+26%	Improved	46%
Poverty rate	8.1%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Improved	68%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	34.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Rent-burdened households	55.5%2015-2019	58.6%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Unemployment rate	7.6%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.7%2015-2019	5.2%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Improved	64%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Murrieta, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Murrieta, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Murrieta, California itself moved −0.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

112,064 residents (±62)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−1.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

112,064 residents (±62)

Murrieta, California
California share

White47%52,255
Black5.2%5,851
Hispanic or Latino31%35,164

Education

72,392 residents (±1,492)

Murrieta, California
California share

No high school diploma6.7%4,827
High school or GED22%16,210
Some college28%20,136

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

36,145 households (±784)

Murrieta, California
California share

Under $25k6.8%2,473
$25k–50k9.9%3,582
$50k–75k12%4,469
$75k–100k13%4,686
$100k–150k23%8,423
$150k–200k14%5,192
$200k or more20%7,320

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+9.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

36,145 households (±784)

Murrieta, California
California share

Own70%25,125
Rent30%11,020

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

10,564 households (±1,087)

Murrieta, California
California share

Under $7501.9%†205
$750–1,0002.8%†293
$1,000–1,5006.3%†

Home values

25,125 homes (±1,090)

Murrieta, California
California share

Under $150k2.3%†581
$150k–250k1.1%†265
$250k–400k4.1%1,031

Age of homes

37,603 homes (±829)

Murrieta, California
California share

2010 or later11%4,121
2000–200940%15,052
1980–199943%16,158

Size of homes

37,603 homes (±829)

Murrieta, California
California share

Studio2.4%†917
1 bedroom6.0%2,241
2 bedrooms17%6,460

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

50,151 workers (±1,514)

Murrieta, California
California share

Drive alone72%36,202
Carpool8.6%4,314
Public transit0.3%†150
Walk1.1%†559
Bike0.1%†47
Work from home17%8,437
Other0.9%†442

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+9.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

41,714 workers (±1,637)

Murrieta, California
California share

Under 15 min21%8,953
15–29 min30%12,442
30–44 min12%4,846

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Riverside County, the county holding most of Murrieta's residents.

Riverside County has 46,244 employer establishments, 185 for every 10,000 residents (0.74× the US rate of 248; 0.70× California's), with 687,526 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,621. The Census Bureau also counts 206,817 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 46,244; 206,817 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 185; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 687,526
Average annual pay: $52,621; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Riverside County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	4,325	17.3	0.83×About typical	46,805	$68,457	8,717
Specialty trade contractors	4,129	16.5	1.07×About typical	47,560	$64,364	11,622
Restaurants and other eating places	4,016	16	0.87×About typical	80,845	$25,568	900
Lessors of real estate	2,520	10.1	0.82×About typical	8,456	$58,350	16,106
Limited-service restaurants	2,028	8.1	1.01×About typical	40,512	$22,729	360
Building equipment contractors	1,669	6.7	1.11×About typical	17,166	$69,074	2,796
Truck transportation	1,602	6.4	1.27×More than typical	11,003	$54,945	7,358
Services to buildings and dwellings	1,557	6.2	0.92×About typical	15,506	$42,446	14,586
Offices of physicians	1,529	6.1	0.94×About typical	11,899	$94,551	1,123
Construction of buildings	1,484	5.9	0.78×Fewer than typical	10,553	$72,857	6,597
Full-service restaurants	1,338	5.3	0.70×Fewer than typical	31,853	$29,532	263
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,202	4.8	0.72×Fewer than typical	4,478	$55,412	6,169

Rank places for an industry Open Riverside County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 2,503,742 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $11.5M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Murrieta, California: $102 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $11.5M; +11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $102; US $1,994
Sole-source: 31%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Customs and Border Protection$5.5M48%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$2.7M23%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.3M11%
Department of the Army$1.2M11%
Defense Logistics Agency$622.5K5.4%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$164.3K1.4%
Department of the Air Force$123.9K1.1%
Department of Energy$5,7560.1%

Top recipients

THE HASKELL COMPANY$5.4M47%
COSMODYNE, LLC$2.7M23%
GEOSYNTEC-GANNETT FLEMING, A JOINT VENTURE$1.2M10%
CDS SERVICES INC$943.6K8.2%
AVIATOR SYSTEMS INC.$596K5.2%

Spending by fiscal year

24.6MFY2017
2.4MFY2018
3.9MFY2019
5.3MFY2020
3.3MFY2021
6.9MFY2022
4.4MFY2023
19M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$5.4M47%
Basic chemical manufacturing · 3251$2.7M23%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.2M10%
Facilities support services · 5612$807.7K7.0%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$427.3K3.7%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Murrieta, California

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SABER PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP A DESIGN FOR A 400 KW SUBSYSTEM CAPABLE OF SURFACE COMBATANT INTEGRATION TO SUPPORT FLEET DEFENSE TO DEFEAT ANTI SHIP CRUISE MISSILES INCLUDING MANEUVERING SUBSONIC, SUPERSONIC AND HYPERSONIC MISSILE T$22M
ATTALON, INC.· Riverside County, CA· Research & development· Dec 28, 2023 – Dec 3, 2025· N0001424C1502
AWARD OF HIGH ENERGY LASER-PERFORMANCE ESTIMATION TEST TECHNOLOGY (HEL-PETT.$3.9M
ATTALON, INC.· Riverside County, CA· Research & development· Sep 23, 2019 – May 26, 2026· W900KK19C0033
MURRIETA CREEK - PHASE 2B (MC2B), CITY OF TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA ARCHITECT-ENGINEER (A-E) SUPPORT FOR GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING DURING CONSTRUCTION (EDC) ATMC2B.$2.1M
GEOSYNTEC-GANNETT FLEMING, A JOINT VENTURE· Riverside County, CA· Construction & real property

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Murrieta, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Murrieta, California's figures are part of those of Riverside County, CA ($1.1B in FY2026), never added to them: 1.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Murrieta is mostly in Riverside County.

See federal money in Riverside County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Murrieta, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Riverside County38100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA27

Other cities and towns in Riverside County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0650076

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends