Is East Hemet a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Health is its weak spot (C−) — CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 83% of the country. East Hemet’s overall D− puts it 747th of 841 in California. On that grade it does better than 3% of U.S. towns. It lags on cost of living as well: the typical home is worth about $420K, 4.7 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Its strongest is walkability: it is more walkable than two thirds of U.S. towns. Only 24 of California’s 1,064 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · USGS PAD-US.
How East Hemet grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far East Hemet is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
East Hemet has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020
17,418 counted in 2010 and 19,432 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
The data
Ordered by what stands out in East Hemet.
East Hemet has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Hemet and beyond.
East Hemet faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
FEMA puts 54% of East Hemet’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 44% to inland flooding. The town has had 8 paid flood insurance claims since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
East Hemet’s public schools trail 65% of California districts
Two of its 9 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Hemet Unified school district. 4 public schools serve East Hemet, with 3,025 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,113 | – |
| Hemet HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,414 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
For health, East Hemet earns a C−
15% of adults binge drink in East Hemet. The share of adults in East Hemet who say their health is fair or poor is 29%, where California’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 19%.
| East Hemet | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 29% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | East Hemet | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.6% | 7.3% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 22.4% | 14.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 26.6% | 17.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most of East Hemet’s workers leave town for work
East Hemet has 1,826 jobs for its 7,606 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 36.4 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
East Hemet’s typical journey to work stands at 36 minutes, above both California’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Commuting out is the norm here: 4% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in East Hemet grew to 1,826 in 2023, 440 more than in 2013. Nearly a fifth of East Hemet residents live below the poverty line.
| East Hemet | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Mild winters and hot summers: that is East Hemet’s year
The San Jacinto weather station, 5 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 315 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The San Jacinto weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 120 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
East Hemet’s peak summer temperature stands at 97°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in East Hemet sell for about $450K
Homes sold in East Hemet spent a median 55 days on the market. Its typical rent is $1,655 a month. In East Hemet, 38% of sales closed above the list price.
| East Hemet | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,655 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about East Hemet
Joshua Tree National Park and 36 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Hemet. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
16 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
26 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
35 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Arena
35 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
17 mi MuseumOrange Empire Railway MuseumPhoto credits
Joshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Acrisure Arena: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Orange Empire Railway Museum: The original uploader was Pretzelpaws at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to East Hemet: who provides what
East Hemet is unincorporated, so Riverside County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
96% of working residents leave East Hemet for work
Where East Hemet’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of East Hemet
About 8 of every 100 East Hemet residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About East Hemet
Census-designated place in California, United States
East Hemet is a census-designated place (CDP) in Riverside County, California, United States, located east of Hemet. East Hemet is in an unincorporated area outside the city limits of Hemet. The population was 19,432 at the 2020 census, up from 17,418 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,690 ft
East Hemet’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with East Hemet.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Hemet | #747 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C− |
| Hemet | #777 | D− | C− | C− | C+ | D |
| Valle Vista | #786 | D− | C− | — | C+ | D |
East Hemet and Valle Vista report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare East Hemet with a neighbor →
Questions about East Hemet
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is East Hemet, CA a good place to live?
East Hemet grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #747 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is East Hemet, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $420,000, 45% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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