Murrieta, California, known as "The Gem of the Valley," is a rapidly growing suburban city located in Southern California's Inland Empire. With its family-friendly atmosphere, excellent schools, and thriving economy, Murrieta offers a high quality of life for its residents. The city's blend of suburban charm and modern amenities makes living in Murrieta an attractive option for families and professionals.
Residents of Murrieta enjoy a variety of recreational activities and community events. The city's numerous parks, trails, and recreational facilities provide ample opportunities for outdoor activities. The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and the Murrieta Hot Springs are popular destinations for hiking, wildlife viewing, and relaxation. The city also hosts numerous festivals and events, including the annual Murrieta Field of Honor and the Murrieta Firefighters Barbecue.
Murrieta's strong economy is supported by a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, education, and retail. The city's proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and San Diego provides residents with access to a wide range of job opportunities and cultural amenities. Loma Linda University Medical Center and Murrieta Valley Unified School District are among the area's major employers.
The cost of living in Murrieta is relatively affordable compared to other parts of Southern California, making it an attractive option for families and young professionals. The housing market includes a variety of options, from single-family homes in suburban neighborhoods to modern apartments and condos. The city's strong sense of community and welcoming atmosphere further enhance its appeal.
Public transportation in Murrieta includes bus services provided by Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), facilitating easy commutes within the city and to neighboring areas. Murrieta's climate features hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, allowing for year-round outdoor activities. Overall, Murrieta offers a blend of suburban tranquility, economic opportunity, and community spirit, making it a desirable place to live.
Amenities
Within the vicinity, you'll find a wealth of amenities, from restaurants and coffee shops to grocery stores and local shops, all easily accessible on foot.
Employment
This area scores extremely well in the employment category. This is primarily due to the combination of low unemployment rates, higher median home income and income per capita.
Housing
The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.
Ratings
Local residents have positive feedback regarding the convenience of amenities, parks, public transit, the friendliness of neighbors, the strong sense of community, and the overall safety of the area.
Commute
Commuters in this area may experience longer-than-average work commute times due to limited public transportation access.
Cost Of Living
Residents of this area contend with a high cost of living, resulting in increased expenditures for everyday goods and services, housing, utilities and health care.
Murrieta, California is a moderately-sized city with a population of 114,066 people. With a population density of 3,394 people per square mile, Murrieta is well above the nation's average density level. More than a quarter of the residents of Murrieta identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 14% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. When traveling to work, spending unnecessary time in your vehicle is not ideal and downright frustrating. Across all of America, the average one way commute time is 26 minutes, unfortunately, living in Murrieta offers up a higher than average one way commute time of 37 minutes.
Whether you’re moving to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Murrieta could be a positive experience compared to other cities in California if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Murrieta, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, commute, education, employment, housing and more.
The livability score in Murrieta is 70 out of 100 and the city is ranked in the 77th percentile of all cities across America. For each of the livability categories, we see that Murrieta ranks very well for amenities (A+), crime (A+), education (B-), employment (A+) and housing (A). Regrettably for Murrieta, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: cost of living (F).
Living in Murrieta offers many benefits and offers an extensive array of local amenities. These amenities play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in this vibrant community. From readily accessible grocery stores to charming coffee shops, diverse dining options and generously spaced parks, Murrieta provides a wide spectrum of resources for its residents. This ensures that your daily requirements are effortlessly met and creates abundant opportunities for leisure and recreation. The abundant local offerings contribute to the area's overall appeal, making it an attractive destination for those seeking convenience, variety and a fulfilling lifestyle. If you're considering a move, the wealth of local amenities continues could be a defining feature of this remarkable locale. A few of the enjoyable things to experience and sights to see are: Mulligan Family Fun Center, City Garage Theatre, and Aces Comedy Club.
Finding affordable real estate and housing in Murrieta can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.
Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Murrieta. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Murrieta are affordable. Median real estate prices in Murrieta come in at $435,700, which is 6.5% higher than the California average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Murrieta, the home price to income ratio is 4.8, which is 25% lower than the California average.
| Statistic | Murrieta | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 37min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 80.3% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.8% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.4% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.2% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 0.6% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 8.4% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
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