The San Jacinto Range, 2010
Valle Vista’s story
137 years in pictures
Census counts: 5,474 in 1980, 16,194 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 3 maps from 1901 on.
- 1889Valle Vista is settled
Valle VistaCA
This town of 18,602 people was settled in 1889.
Population
18,602
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$336K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
867
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#786 of 841 in CA
Is Valle Vista a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. At D− overall, Valle Vista is better than 2% of U.S. towns and ranks 786th of 841 in California. Its lowest grade is for hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. It lags on health as well: residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. A typical home there costs about $336K, 3.7 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. Where it does best is walkability: it is more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns. The town’s average commute is 38 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
A growing town
Valle Vista has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
14,578 counted in 2010 and 16,194 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Valle Vista grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Valle Vista is from typical.
Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listD−Open →HealthHemet Global Medical Center 4.7 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeC−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnC−Open →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 4% conserved landBOpen →HistoryNear the bottom of the towns comparedC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 99° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.1; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Valle Vista: who provides what
Valle Vista 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
Internet6 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 code9254492544 100%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 Valle Vista.
Valle Vista has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Hemet and beyond and has property taxes about half the California norm.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Valle Vista has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
FEMA puts 82% of Valle Vista’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 16% to inland flooding.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC+
Valle Vista’s schools rank behind 65% of California districts
The public schools here belong to the Hemet Unified school district. Its one school is below. 672 students attend Valle Vista’s public school.
35%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valle Vista ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 672 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Valle Vista’s grade for health is a D
For adults in Valle Vista, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 25%. Among adults locally, 30% say their health is fair or poor and 41% have obesity.
12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Valle Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 22% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 29% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better9 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Valle Vista | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 5.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 5.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.8% | 7.3% |
Hemet Global Medical Center
4.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
8th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB
In Valle Vista, 3.9% of the land is conserved
6.8 miles of trail wind through 3 parks and preserves. In Valle Vista, the density of trails is 1.0 miles per square mile.
#394for trails in CA
| Valle Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
3.9%
conserved · 178 of 4,509 acres
6.8 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Louis M. Jackson Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Jim Venable Exchange Club Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Deputy Brett M. Harris Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Few of Valle Vista’s working residents work in town
Valle Vista has 867 jobs for its 6,294 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 37.9 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Commuting out is the norm in Valle Vista: 3% of working residents work locally. This California town had 867 jobs in 2023, up 307 from 2013. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. The top destinations are Hemet (13%), San Jacinto (7%) and Riverside (5%).
3%work in town
| Valle Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Valle Vista3%
Hemet13%
San Jacinto7%
Riverside5%
Los Angeles4%
29 mi
median commute distance
867
jobs based in Valle Vista
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Valle Vista: mild winters and hot summers
The San Jacinto weather station, 7 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, 7 miles away, records that about 120 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
The town’s July high stands at 98°F.
99°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–66°
Spring46–76°
Summer59–96°
Fall50–83°
Dec 10
typical first frost
Jan 31
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
99°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
Homes in Valle Vista sell for about $480K
The median property tax bill is $2,038, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Valle Vista’s typical rent comes in at $1,738 a month. Just over a third of the homes sold in Valle Vista went for more than their asking price. On the market in the town: a median 64 days to sell.
$480Kmedian sale price
| Valle Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,738 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 64% | 73% |
Market temperature
64
days on market
99.7%
sale-to-list price
10
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 97 attractions →Joshua Tree National Park and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Valle Vista. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
13 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
25 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
31 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Arena
35 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
20 mi MuseumOrange Empire Railway MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Valle Vista
17pages on Valle Vista
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Valle Vista
About 6 of every 100 Valle Vista residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Valle Vista for work
Where Valle Vista’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
867jobs based in Valle Vista
3%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Valle Vista
Place in California, United States
Valle Vista (Spanish for "View Valley") is an unincorporated area in the Inland Empire region of Riverside County, California, United States and is located in the San Jacinto Valley. Valle Vista is adjacent to and east of the cities of San Jacinto and Hemet. The population was 16,194 at the 2020 census, up from 11,036 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Valle Vista as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,775 ft
Valle Vista’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Valle Vista.
HemetEast HemetValle Vista
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valle Vista | #786 | D− | C− | — | C+ | D |
| Hemet | #777 | D− | C− | C− | C+ | D |
| East Hemet | #747 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C− |
Valle Vista and East Hemet report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Valle Vista with a neighbor →
Questions about Valle Vista
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Valle Vista, CA a good place to live?
Valle Vista grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #786 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Valle Vista, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $336,000, 56% 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−.