Population 2,478,600 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Riverside County
Household size in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.29 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.40 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.45 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.34 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Riverside County is a place of big households: 3.34 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has crept up from 3.29 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.6 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.6 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.0 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.1 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Riverside County is 38.1 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 34.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Riverside County (13.6%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are less common here than in the Riverside area as a whole (14.8%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Riverside County
Renters in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.0% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.9% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Riverside County own their homes; 30.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 31.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the south. The renter share has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Riverside County as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 3.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Riverside County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1990, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1987 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the northwest. Only one other California county has newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,330 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,382 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,610 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,163 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$833 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Riverside County runs $2,163 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $833 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 34.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Riverside County
Bachelor's degrees in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Riverside County: 24.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.5% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.2% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.4% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.7% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Riverside County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The picture is much the same across the Riverside area. The share with a diploma is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Riverside County
| Period | Riverside County | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Riverside County than nationally: unemployment was 6.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Riverside County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County | 3.34 | 38.1 | 13.6% | 30.9% | 8.4% | 1990 | $2,163 | 24.9% | 82.7% | 6.5% |
| Orange County | 3.03 | 40.5 | 10.2% | 43.6% | 6.6% | 1979 | $2,644 | 44.9% | 87.2% | 5.3% |
| Gila County | 2.38 | 50.2 | 11.2% | 22.5% | 21.3% | 1983 | $1,086 | 18.5% | 90.2% | 6.6% |
| Cochran County | 2.58 | 36.4 | 13.8% | 35.4% | 27.8% | 1971 | $715 | 8.7% | 66.6% | 4.8% |
| Crosby County | 2.58 | 39.1 | 14.6% | 31.2% | 25.4% | 1964 | $671 | 15.9% | 80.9% | 7.3% |
| King County | 1.90 | 49.4 | 17.1% | 40.5% | 41.3% | 1968 | $1,302 | 38.9% | 88.9% | 0.0% |
| Archer County | 2.54 | 44.7 | 8.7% | 15.5% | 11.4% | 1980 | $1,245 | 25.4% | 92.2% | 3.3% |
| Clay County | 2.46 | 46.5 | 9.0% | 16.0% | 16.9% | 1980 | $813 | 22.0% | 94.1% | 2.1% |
| Montague County | 2.46 | 43.1 | 7.6% | 20.1% | 15.3% | 1981 | $1,032 | 18.5% | 86.9% | 8.1% |
| Cooke County | 2.60 | 41.1 | 11.2% | 28.2% | 8.7% | 1985 | $1,136 | 22.5% | 87.1% | 4.4% |
| Grayson County | 2.61 | 40.1 | 11.6% | 33.2% | 10.8% | 1984 | $1,343 | 24.2% | 89.5% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Orange County, CA · Maricopa County, AZ · Los Angeles County, CA · San Diego County, CA · Westchester County, NY · San Joaquin County, CA · Queens County, NY · Tarrant County, TX · York County, PA · Norfolk County, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Riverside County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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