Facing East Near, 2024
French Valley’s story
French Valley in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2024 and 3 maps from 1942 on.
Explore the history →French ValleyCA
45,269 residents make their home in this town in California.
Population
45,269
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$680K
Census ACS
Household income
$149K
median
Median age
33.7
years
Jobs based here
3,755
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#198 of 841 in CA
Is French Valley a good place to live?
French Valley’s overall grade, B−, puts it better than 50% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 198th of 841 in California. Health is its strong suit: it is healthier than just over four fifths of U.S. towns. Add schools to its strengths (A−): its schools rank ahead of four fifths of California towns. The weak point is cost of living (D−): the typical home is worth about $680K, 7.6 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. It lags on hazard risk as well: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. The biggest park or preserve is RDA Winchester, at 57 acres. The town’s median rent is $3,119 a month, where California’s towns sit at $1,895 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
What makes French Valley stand out
Where French Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
French Valley has grown 53% from 2010 to 2020
23,067 counted in 2010 and 35,280 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How French Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far French Valley is from typical.
Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthLoma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta 3.7 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsAmong the best of the towns comparedA−Open →Jobs & income$149K median household incomeB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.7 of 20; 1.3% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors9 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB+Open →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to French Valley: who provides what
French Valley is unincorporated, so Riverside County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEastern Municipal WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRiverside CountyRiverside County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereRiverside Registrar of VotersRiverside County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes92596, 9256392596 75% · 92563 25%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in French Valley.
French Valley has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, has less tooth loss than most of California and sends most of its workers to Temecula and beyond.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
French Valley has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in French Valley, 57% come from inland flooding and 21% from earthquakes.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
For schools, French Valley earns an A−
That grade comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $680K.
Two of its 9 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public school enrollment in French Valley: 4,969 students across 6 schools.
80%of CA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorothy McElhinney MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,451 | – |
| Temecula PreparatoryLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,086 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Residents of French Valley are healthier than 81% of U.S. towns
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 6.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,843 U.S. towns with household incomes like French Valley’s, it is less healthy than 70%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
For adults in French Valley, the share who feel lonely is 36%. Of 32 CDC measures, French Valley beats the California average on 15 and trails it on 2. 12% of adults in French Valley report frequent physical distress; 29% have high blood pressure.
81%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| French Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
15 better15 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | French Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 10.6% |
| More adults with obesity | 33.2% | 27.8% |
Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta
3.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
70th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
For most of its workers, the job is outside French Valley
French Valley has 3,755 jobs for its 13,533 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 41.4 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
The top destinations are Temecula (15%), San Diego (8%) and Murrieta (8%). For most workers, French Valley is a place to come home to: only 4% work in town. Also worth knowing: between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 2,321, to 3,755. The town’s average trip to work is 41 minutes.
4%work in town
| French Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 41 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $149,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 19% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In French Valley4%
Temecula15%
San Diego8%
Murrieta8%
Los Angeles3%
31 mi
median commute distance
3,755
jobs based in French Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB+
French Valley has set aside 3.6% of its land for conservation
In 26 parks and preserves, walkers have 8.9 miles of trail. French Valley’s concentration of trails stands at 0.8 miles per square mile.
#430for trails in CA
| French Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
3.6%
conserved · 250 of 6,930 acres
8.9 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spencer's Crossing Sports Park | 0.9 mi | 14 |
| 2. Abelia Sports Park | 0.4 mi | 18 |
| 3. Heritage Ranch Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
More children than California overall
Children under 18 are a third of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (16% statewide). In French Valley, the midpoint age is 33.7 years. 38% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 37% across California.
33.7median age · CA 37.9
| French Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 33% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 10% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 33.7 years | 39.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
French ValleyCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school20%
Some college26%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.3 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| French Valley | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.8% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.5% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.7% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.9% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is French Valley’s year
The San Jacinto weather station, 16 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, 16 miles away, records that about 120 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
The town’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 94°F.
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–67°
Spring47–75°
Summer59–92°
Fall52–82°
Dec 10
typical first frost
Jan 31
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D−
A home in French Valley sells for about $686K at the median
Among households in French Valley, 87% live in a home they own. Homes sold in French Valley spent a median 53 days on the market. In French Valley, the typical sale closed at 99.9% of the list price.
$686Kmedian sale price
| French Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,119 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 87% | 64% | 73% |
Market temperature
53
days on market
99.9%
sale-to-list price
44
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about French Valley
17pages on French Valley
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of French Valley
About 9 of every 100 French Valley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave French Valley for work
Where French Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,755jobs based in French Valley
4%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About French Valley
Census-designated place in California, United States
French Valley is a census-designated place located in the French Valley of Riverside County, California. The 2020 United States census reported French Valley's population as 35,280, up from 23,067 at the 2010 census. It became the most populous CDP in Riverside County when Rubidoux was incorporated into Jurupa Valley.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,368 ft
French Valley’s neighbors
One town shares a border with French Valley.
MurrietaFrench Valley
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Valley | #198 | B− | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Murrieta | #202 | B− | D− | B− | A− | B+ |
French Valley reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare French Valley with a neighbor →
Questions about French Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is French Valley, CA a good place to live?
French Valley grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #198 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is French Valley, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $680,000, 11% 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 D−.