The Town FilesLake Elsinore, California
City in Riverside County · population 70,265 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $566,000
- Household income
- $101,888
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 97°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 33.7
Lake Elsinore is a city of 70,265 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $566,000, below the typical California town ($596,900).
How Lake Elsinore ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lake Elsinore is worth $566,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $101,888, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $2,078 a month. 70.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake Elsinore | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $566,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,078 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $101,888 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 70.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 2002 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.2% | — |
Who lives in Lake Elsinore
| People | Lake Elsinore | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 20.9% | — |
| Work from home | 13.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 42.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Lake Elsinore
July highs average 96.5°F and January lows 41.9°F. About 11.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 123 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 9 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Elsinore since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on October 8, 2022 about 7.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 8, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 8, 2024.
Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996
Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Fire | FM-5636: Bain Fire |
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5538: Airport Fire |
| July 21, 2024 | Fire | FM-5515: Hawarden Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Riverside County
Riverside County had 840,433 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,734 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Lake Elsinore itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Lake Elsinore
20 public schools with 15,709 students, about 23.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temescal Canyon High | 9-12 | 2,248 | 25.3 |
| Lakeside High | 9-12 | 1,657 | 23.3 |
| Terra Cotta Middle | 6-8 | 1,064 | 26.6 |
| Canyon Lake Middle | 6-8 | 970 | 24.9 |
| Elsinore Middle | 6-8 | 937 | 25.3 |
| Lakeland Village | K-8 | 866 | 20.1 |
| Earl Warren Elementary | K-5 | 850 | 25.8 |
| Railroad Canyon Elementary | K-5 | 825 | 22.9 |
| Cottonwood Canyon Elementary | K-5 | 811 | 24.6 |
| Herk Bouris Elementary | K-5 | 796 | 24.1 |
| Rice Canyon Elementary | K-5 | 610 | 23.5 |
| Tuscany Hills Elementary | K-5 | 610 | 23.5 |
Towns near Lake Elsinore
- Lakeland Village, CA3.1 mi · 12,364 people · home $463,500
- Meadowbrook, CA4.0 mi · 3,142 people · home $264,600
- Canyon Lake, CA4.1 mi · 11,082 people · home $699,600
- Wildomar, CA6.5 mi · 36,875 people · home $552,400
- Good Hope, CA6.7 mi · 9,468 people · home $391,700
- Menifee, CA8.7 mi · 102,527 people · home $537,300
- Temescal Valley, CA9.1 mi · 26,232 people · home $710,400
- Perris, CA9.7 mi · 78,700 people · home $474,700
Lake Elsinore questions
Is Lake Elsinore, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Elsinore scores better for retirees than 12% of California towns and quieter than 31%. 9.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.7).
How much does a house cost in Lake Elsinore?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake Elsinore is valued at $566,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $101,888, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $2,078 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake Elsinore?
July highs average 96.5°F and January lows 41.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Lake Elsinore get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Elsinore since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on October 8, 2022. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)