While big cities like Riverside offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Riverside. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Riverside without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Riverside are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Riverside area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Riverside for 2024:
What’s the best suburb of Riverside? Mission Viejo ranks as the best suburb of Riverside for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Mission Viejo, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Riverside ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about California:
The 10 Best Riverside Suburbs To Live For 2024
/10
Population: 93,233
Median Income: $136,570
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on Mission Viejo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Mission Viejo is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Riverside area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Mission Viejo.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $136,570 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Riverside region. And only 4.41% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,077,063 each.
/10
Population: 5,814
Median Income: $189,306
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 7.2%
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Villa Park is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Riverside for 2024.
It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 1.24% of residents lack insurance, good for best.
/10
Population: 68,035
Median Income: $148,325
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
Poverty Rate: 6.0%
More on Yorba Linda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Here in Yorba Linda, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Riverside metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Yorba Linda.
/10
Population: 47,702
Median Income: $150,146
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Rancho Santa Margarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Rancho Santa Margarita ranks as the 4th best suburb of Riverside for 2024.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Rancho Santa Margarita and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 25,869
Median Income: $120,414
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 8.1%
More on El Cerrito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Coming in as the fifth best is El Cerrito.
El Cerrito gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the Riverside area, where houses sell for an average of $1,162,177. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 69,594
Median Income: $151,615
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Eastvale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Eastvale is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 4.47%.
According to online reports, Eastvale is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Riverside area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 85,583
Median Income: $128,358
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 7.3%
More on Lake Forest: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Lake Forest.
Lake Forest schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 25.4 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 28,212
Median Income: $130,444
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 7.8%
More on Walnut: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Walnut is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 4.65% of people lack insurance, good for 17th in the area.
/10
Population: 31,170
Median Income: $122,902
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 8.3%
More on Laguna Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Is ‘Everything Better In Laguna Hills?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 47,099
Median Income: $120,226
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 6.7%
More on Brea: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Brea.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Riverside for 2024
Figuring out the best suburbs around Riverside was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Riverside.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 54 suburbs to evaluate around Riverside.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 54 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Riverside.” We’re lookin’ at you, Mission Viejo.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Riverside suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Riverside ‘Burbs of 2024
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Riverside are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Riverside but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more California reading, check out:
Table: Best Riverside Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission Viejo, CA | 93,233 | $136,570 | $1,077,063 |
| 2 | Villa Park, CA | 5,814 | $189,306 | $2,030,498 |
| 3 | Yorba Linda, CA | 68,035 | $148,325 | $1,245,181 |
| 4 | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 47,702 | $150,146 | $938,523 |
| 5 | El Cerrito, CA | 25,869 | $120,414 | $1,162,177 |
| 6 | Eastvale, CA | 69,594 | $151,615 | $884,749 |
| 7 | Lake Forest, CA | 85,583 | $128,358 | $1,056,345 |
| 8 | Walnut, CA | 28,212 | $130,444 | $1,093,688 |
| 9 | Laguna Hills, CA | 31,170 | $122,902 | $1,076,942 |
| 10 | Brea, CA | 47,099 | $120,226 | $1,019,390 |
| 11 | Claremont, CA | 36,891 | $115,091 | $926,202 |
| 12 | Placentia, CA | 51,797 | $106,155 | $973,725 |
| 13 | Irvine, CA | 304,527 | $122,948 | $1,331,528 |
| 14 | Canyon Lake, CA | 11,108 | $120,938 | $675,301 |
| 15 | Diamond Bar, CA | 54,534 | $106,881 | $934,630 |
| 16 | Orange, CA | 138,728 | $109,335 | $991,595 |
| 17 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 174,696 | $105,534 | $736,775 |
| 18 | La Verne, CA | 31,239 | $103,816 | $888,737 |
| 19 | Norco, CA | 25,328 | $120,636 | $821,192 |
| 20 | Glendora, CA | 52,095 | $106,718 | $836,144 |
| 21 | Chino Hills, CA | 78,223 | $117,548 | $913,774 |
| 22 | Murrieta, CA | 111,899 | $106,925 | $661,427 |
| 23 | Upland, CA | 78,847 | $93,994 | $773,135 |
| 24 | Tustin, CA | 79,514 | $102,065 | $1,015,712 |
| 25 | San Dimas, CA | 34,466 | $102,241 | $863,283 |
| 26 | Corona, CA | 158,346 | $103,727 | $721,686 |
| 27 | Covina, CA | 50,717 | $89,650 | $739,542 |
| 28 | Calimesa, CA | 10,366 | $74,236 | $539,879 |
| 29 | Laguna Woods, CA | 17,452 | $56,928 | $409,471 |
| 30 | Anaheim, CA | 347,111 | $88,538 | $844,174 |
| 31 | Chino, CA | 91,008 | $99,385 | $711,183 |
| 32 | Redlands, CA | 73,234 | $94,473 | $598,867 |
| 33 | Beaumont, CA | 53,544 | $102,469 | $511,741 |
| 34 | Grand Terrace, CA | 13,104 | $89,781 | $543,495 |
| 35 | Fontana, CA | 209,279 | $93,230 | $592,297 |
| 36 | Yucaipa, CA | 54,428 | $85,075 | $541,890 |
| 37 | Menifee, CA | 103,680 | $87,871 | $554,315 |
| 38 | Loma Linda, CA | 24,883 | $70,685 | $601,788 |
| 39 | Ontario, CA | 176,326 | $78,070 | $627,446 |
| 40 | Montclair, CA | 37,842 | $72,789 | $614,701 |
| 41 | Pomona, CA | 149,831 | $73,515 | $619,187 |
| 42 | Lake Elsinore, CA | 69,993 | $89,788 | $556,993 |
| 43 | Wildomar, CA | 36,822 | $89,912 | $617,209 |
| 44 | Moreno Valley, CA | 209,578 | $82,637 | $523,823 |
| 45 | Jurupa Valley, CA | 105,672 | $91,562 | $617,207 |
| 46 | Lakeland, CA | 114,404 | $58,290 | $292,407 |
| 47 | Rialto, CA | 103,873 | $80,750 | $539,398 |
| 48 | Highland, CA | 56,789 | $72,222 | $500,464 |
| 49 | Colton, CA | 53,959 | $66,725 | $462,959 |
| 50 | Hemet, CA | 89,651 | $49,901 | $425,611 |
| 51 | Perris, CA | 78,881 | $78,352 | $510,724 |
| 52 | San Jacinto, CA | 54,077 | $73,682 | $456,347 |
| 53 | San Bernardino, CA | 221,041 | $61,323 | $455,364 |
| 54 | Banning, CA | 29,929 | $54,083 | $390,975 |