Riverside County, California Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Riverside County, California, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Riverside County, California. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Riverside County, California. The estimated population of Riverside County, California is 2,409,331 people, with a median age of 36.

We can look at the total population in Riverside County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
2,409,331
 -1.17% +2.31%
2020
2,437,864
+1.1%
-
2019
2,411,439
+1.18%
-
2018
2,383,286
+1.2%
-
2017
2,355,002
 - -

Population of Riverside County, California by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
33.2%
36.6%
 -9.29%
Black/African American
6.1%
6%
 +1.67%
Native
0.4%
0.4%
 0.00%
Hispanic
50.3%
48%
 +4.79%
Asian
6.6%
6.1%
 +8.20%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.3%
0.3%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.9%
2.5%
 +16.00%
Other
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Riverside County, California by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 36 +0.56% 35.4 +1.14% 36.7 0%
2020 35.8 +0.56% 35 +0.86% 36.7 +0.55%
2019 35.6 +0.85% 34.7 +0.87% 36.5 +0.83%
2018 35.3 +0.86% 34.4 +0.88% 36.2 +0.56%
2017 35 - 34.1 - 36 -

The median age of Riverside County, California gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 168,086 -4.28% 160,138 -4.97% 160,996 152,274
10 to 19 180,272 +1.97% 174,656 +1.72% 183,831 177,667
20 to 29 172,173 -1.81% 163,956 -1.08% 168,920 162,117
30 to 39 153,449 +6.96% 153,565 +3.32% 164,401 158,706
40 to 49 151,064 +2.15% 151,379 +0.85% 154,328 152,660
50 to 59 144,450 +3.97% 144,634 +0.9% 150,270 145,868
60 to 69 105,553 +10.65% 117,126 +6.23% 117,243 124,553
70+ 96,664 +10.8% 117,837 +8.59% 107,408 128,089

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Riverside County, California is $76,066.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Riverside County.

  • Under 25
    $39,539.00
  • 25 to 44
    $80,117.00
  • 45 to 64
    $91,332.00
  • 65 and over
    $54,587.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Riverside County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Riverside County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Riverside County, California is currently $100,004.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

9.95% of households in Riverside County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Riverside County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    15.11%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.04%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.26%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.17%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    18.52%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8.94%
  • $200,000 or more
    9.95%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Riverside County is $32,079.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Riverside County by the total population of Riverside County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Riverside County, California, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Riverside County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    10.86%
  • Bachelor's degree
    27.12%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    13.19%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    43.02%
  • Less than high school diploma
    5.81%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Riverside County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Riverside County over the age of 16 is 1,876,133.

Of those people, a total of 60.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Riverside County is 55.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 141,570 29.00% 21.90%
20 to 24 years 161,765 71.50% 12.30%
25 to 29 years 169,272 79.20% 9.30%
30 to 34 years 163,894 80.20% 6.60%
35 to 44 years 316,169 79.30% 5.10%
45 to 54 years 298,690 78.30% 4.70%
55 to 59 years 147,480 69.90% 5.50%
60 to 64 years 131,815 52.10% 6.20%
65 to 74 years 201,114 22.40% 6.50%
75 years and over 144,364 5.60% 10.40%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Riverside County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 993,407 57.10% 6.20%
Black or African American 123,092 60.10% 10.40%
American Indian and Alaska Native 15,642 56.60% 7.90%
Asian 134,848 60.00% 5.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6,183 63.90% 8.60%
Other 421,889 66.00% 8.10%
Two or more races 181,072 65.70% 9.00%
Hispanic or Latino 879,004 65.50% 7.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 686,023 53.70% 6.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Riverside County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Riverside County is 1,045,030, with median earnings of $39,040.00.

Women in Riverside County, California earning approximately 70.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,045,030 $39,040.00
Male 578,647 $45,204.00
Female 466,383 $32,008.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 93,614 $78,458.00
Business and Financial 44,500 $65,067.00
Computer and Mathematical 18,298 $82,348.00
Architecture and Engineering 15,148 $81,978.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 5,770 $72,434.00
Community and Social Service 19,014 $52,712.00
Legal 6,807 $75,620.00
Educational and Library 56,117 $46,673.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 17,386 $32,401.00
Healthcare Practitioners 54,219 $70,966.00
Healthcare Support 40,349 $27,073.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 16,077 $38,145.00
Law Enforcement 13,717 $106,390.00
Food Preparation and Serving 63,468 $19,853.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 47,744 $26,286.00
Personal Care and Service 29,103 $20,511.00
Sales 112,057 $31,062.00
Office and Administrative Support 120,774 $36,084.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 8,858 $19,542.00
Construction and Extraction 69,953 $43,307.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 37,329 $50,589.00
Production 52,199 $34,910.00
Transportation and Material Moving 44,734 $42,031.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 59,500 $85,349.00 34,114 $64,977.00
Business and Financial 20,934 $75,073.00 23,566 $57,117.00
Computer and Mathematical 14,267 $83,778.00 4,031 $76,875.00
Architecture and Engineering 13,179 $82,884.00 1,969 $74,375.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 3,220 $76,479.00 2,550 $62,601.00
Community and Social Service 6,625 $54,183.00 12,389 $51,666.00
Legal 2,727 $104,375.00 4,080 $64,939.00
Educational and Library 15,807 $63,905.00 40,310 $40,885.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 9,910 $41,875.00 7,476 $27,388.00
Healthcare Practitioners 16,399 $81,105.00 37,820 $66,063.00
Healthcare Support 6,626 $32,156.00 33,723 $26,638.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 13,159 $41,312.00 2,918 $21,641.00
Law Enforcement 11,193 $109,250.00 2,524 $80,090.00
Food Preparation and Serving 29,187 $21,449.00 34,281 $17,801.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 31,742 $29,018.00 16,002 $19,935.00
Personal Care and Service 7,916 $27,784.00 21,187 $18,438.00
Sales 55,853 $44,687.00 56,204 $22,156.00
Office and Administrative Support 34,241 $39,384.00 86,533 $35,151.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 6,127 $21,435.00 2,731 $15,652.00
Construction and Extraction 68,360 $43,442.00 1,593 $35,885.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 36,276 $50,835.00 1,053 $35,906.00
Production 36,112 $40,695.00 16,087 $26,934.00
Transportation and Material Moving 39,399 $44,010.00 5,335 $30,501.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 740,506 households in Riverside County, with an average household size of 3.2 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 547,202 families in Riverside County with an average family size of 3.73 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 405,065 45,096 97,041 193,304
Average Household Size 3.82 3.89 4.04 1.32
Total Families 405,065 45,096 97,041 0
Average Household Size 3.77 3.43 3.72 0

Poverty

Of the 547,202 families in Riverside County, 9.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Riverside County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 844,425 housing units in Riverside County, California.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 740,506 87.69%
Vacant 103,919 12.31%

26.98% of the total 844,425 housing units in Riverside County are rental units. This is approximately 227,801 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 504,469 are occupied by the owner - or 59.74% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Riverside County is $1,552.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Riverside County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    8,236
  • Less than $500
    7,626
  • $500 to $999
    34,852
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    64,884
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    62,278
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    35,223
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    13,779
  • $3,000 or more
    9,159

Property Value

The median value of a property in Riverside County is $390,400.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Riverside County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    23,070
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    14,068
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11,940
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    20,254
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    73,757
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    223,221
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    123,813
  • $1,000,000 or more
    14,346

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Riverside County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Riverside County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    17,782
  • 1940 to 1949
    14,396
  • 1950 to 1959
    49,887
  • 1960 to 1969
    62,620
  • 1970 to 1979
    118,103
  • 1980 to 1989
    175,741
  • 1990 to 1999
    132,127
  • 2000 to 2009
    210,544
  • 2010 to 2013
    60,814
  • 2014 or later
    2,411

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Riverside County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    29,696
  • 1 vehicle available
    195,085
  • 2 vehicles available
    273,459
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    242,266

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Riverside County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Riverside County that commute to work in a particular way.

34 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Riverside County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    16,537
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    63,012
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    111,407
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    126,263
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    117,520
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    49,631
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    130,006
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    24,779
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    37,055
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    86,208
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    104,493
  • 90 or more minutes
    71,572

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Riverside County, California in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Riverside County, California

We have data for 88 places in Riverside County, California. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.