Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Lake Elsinore earns a D, 580th of 841 graded towns in California. In its favor, it has 106 miles of trail and 28% conserved land. Lake Elsinore’s average commute is 43 minutes, above both California’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Lake Elsinore's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Lake Elsinore beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
51,821 counted in 2010 and 70,265 in 2020; an estimated 75,067 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.9% since 2020, after 35.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lake Elsinore is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 279 in 1900, 70,265 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2024 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Elsinore, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Elsinore.
Lake Elsinore has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports more crime than Wildomar and its other graded neighbors and trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
The biggest park or preserve is Cleveland National Forest, at 87 acres. In 27 parks and preserves, walkers have 106 miles of trail. Lake Elsinore’s trail density is 2.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Canyon Hills Community Park | 2 mi | 21 |
| 2. Summerly Community Park | 1.3 mi | 21 |
| 3. Aberhill Ranch Community Park | 1.1 mi | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools: the Lake Elsinore Unified school district. Of its 19 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. 6 public schools serve Lake Elsinore, with 4,443 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Cotta MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,026 | D |
| Temescal Canyon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,373 | A |
| Alberhill ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 485 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Federal aid has come to Lake Elsinore households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 57% come from inland flooding and 23% from earthquakes. Since 1978, 208 flood insurance claims have been paid out in the town.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 29,622 working residents takes 42.9 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 10,880 in 2013 to 15,054.
The top destinations are Temecula (5%), Riverside (5%) and Los Angeles (5%). Just 9% of Lake Elsinore’s working residents have a job in town. Also worth knowing: jobs in Lake Elsinore grew by 4,174 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 15,054. The income of the median household for Lake Elsinore comes to $102,000.
| Lake Elsinore | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For Lake Elsinore, the median rent is $2,078 a month. On the market locally: a median 54 days to sell. Bidding over the asking price: 36% of homes sold in the town.
| Lake Elsinore | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,078 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Wildomar (B−) to Canyon Lake (A−). Reported crimes fell from 1,735 to 1,337 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The level of property crime in Lake Elsinore is 16.8 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 61% of towns.
| Lake Elsinore | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Elsinore weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 329 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Elsinore weather station records that about 123 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Lake Elsinore’s typical July afternoon high stands at 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,313 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lake Elsinore’s, it is less healthy than 83%, so it trails even them.
Among adults in Lake Elsinore, 41% sleep under 7 hours. CDC measures, 32 in all: Lake Elsinore beats California on 3 and trails on 13.
| Lake Elsinore | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lake Elsinore | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| More adults with obesity | 37.4% | 27.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Elsinore. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a year
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaAngel Stadium of Anaheim
Big draw35 mi Theme parkDisney California Adventure10.1M visitors a year
32 mi Stadium & arenaHonda Center
31 mi MuseumRichard Nixon Presidential Library and MuseumDisneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen, Public domain · Disney California Adventure: CrispyCream27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Honda Center: Arnold C (Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum: The original uploader was Sorcha at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Elsinore
About 8 of every 100 Lake Elsinore residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
27.5% of the town is conserved land, across 27 parks and preserves.
2 places in Lake Elsinore on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
Lake Elsinore is a city in the Inland Empire region of western Riverside County, California, United States. Established as a city in 1888, it is on the shore of Lake Elsinore, a natural freshwater lake about 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) in size. The city has grown from a small resort town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to a suburban city with a population of 70,265 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Lake Elsinore.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Elsinore | #580 | D | D− | C | B− | C+ |
| Lakeland Village | #624 | D | D | — | B− | C |
| Warm Springs | — | — | C+ | — | B− | C− |
| Canyon Lake | #285 | C+ | D− | A− | B− | B |
| Meadowbrook | #663 | D | C | — | C+ | D |
| Wildomar | #487 | C− | D | B− | B− | B− |
| Temescal Valley | #344 | C | D− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Menifee | #449 | C− | D− | B | B | B− |
Warm Springs has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lakeland Village, Warm Springs, Meadowbrook and Temescal Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lake Elsinore with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lake Elsinore grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #580 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 61% of towns.
Yes. That is 6.5 years of the area's median household income ($89,662 across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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