Should I Move To
Murrieta, California is home to about 111,899 people. On cost of living, it lands in the expensive band — 19% above the national average. The median renter pays around $2,150 a month against a typical household income of $106,925. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 50 out of 100 (grade C-), putting it at #499 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Murrieta's composite cost-of-living index lands at 119 (100 = US average), which puts it in the expensive band. At $2,150/mo against $106,925 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 24% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $567,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 103°F, winter averages around 37°F. Precipitation totals about 4 inches a year. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Crime sits a notch better than the national norm — not crime-free, but a step above average. Air quality reads good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Murrieta doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on safety (84/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Murrieta doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on safety (84/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Murrieta doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 40/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on safety (84/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Murrieta doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on safety (84/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Murrieta, California pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #499 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Murrieta's cost-of-living index is 119 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 19% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,150/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 103°F, winter averages around 37°F, with about 4 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 44/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Murrieta has about 111,899 residents, 30% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Murrieta head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Murrieta stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Murrieta with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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