Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Temecula is a city of 114,865, and it grades C+ overall, 243rd among California's 841 graded towns. Its schools outperform 80% of the state's and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 80% of the country. The trade-offs: the typical home is worth about $757K, 8.4 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Temecula’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, at 4,328 acres. Temecula is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns.
Where Temecula beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Temecula is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,783 in 1980, 110,003 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Temecula, 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 Temecula.
Temecula has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, has less no health insurance than most of California and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
51 miles of trail in 47 parks and preserves. The trail density in Temecula is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ronald Reagan Sports Park | 0.7 mi | 43 |
| 2. Temecula Creek Trail Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
| 3. Rose Haven Heritage Garden | 0.5 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $757K.
Its public schools are run by the Temecula Valley Unified school district. Two of its 37 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temecula MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,012 | – |
| River Springs CharterLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 7,703 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Since 1993, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Temecula.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 6.8% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 5,604 U.S. towns with household incomes like Temecula’s, it is healthier than 53%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
9.8% of adults smoke cigarettes in Temecula. Temecula beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 9.6% of adults have diabetes in Temecula.
| Temecula | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 11% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Temecula | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 17.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 33% | 27.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Elsinore weather station, 18 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 329 days, longer than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 43°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.6°.
Temecula has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Temecula’s January low is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Temecula | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 41,455 working residents takes 36.3 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
About one in 5 of Temecula’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Temecula grew to 51,748 in 2023, 8,258 more than in 2013. 19% of Temecula workers work from home.
| Temecula | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $121,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 19% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 2,556 to 1,637 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 67% of towns.
| Temecula | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Children under 18 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). Temecula has grown 4.4% since 2020, to 114,865 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Temecula | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 27% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.7 years | 39.1 years | 40.5 years |
50.8% women, 49.2% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.9 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.9, men 36.4.
| Temecula | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.4% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Temecula. Close and well known come first.
27 mi Theme parkLegoland California
28 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo Safari Park
34 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
19 mi MuseumOrange Empire Railway Museum
24 mi National forestCleveland National Forest
28 mi LandmarkRiverside National CemeteryLegoland California: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdigger/, CC BY 2.0 · San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Flickr user: Olivier Bruchez https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruchez/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · Orange Empire Railway Museum: The original uploader was Pretzelpaws at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cleveland National Forest: Michael Romanov, Public domain · Riverside National Cemetery: Sigris Lopez, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Temecula
About 7 of every 100 Temecula residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
11 notable people were born in Temecula.
City in California, United States
Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census and was incorporated on December 1, 1989. The city is a tourist and resort destination, with the Temecula Valley Wine Country, Old Town Temecula, Pechanga Resort Casino, championship golf courses, and resort accommodations contributing to the city's economic profile. The city of Temecula, forming the southwestern anchor of the Inland Empire region, is approximately 58 miles (93 km) north of downtown San Diego and 85 miles (137 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Temecula is part of the Greater Los Angeles area. Temecula is bordered by the city of Murr…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Temecula.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Temecula grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #243 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 67% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
11 notable people were born here, including Emily Bader and Howard Scott Gentry.
