The Town FilesLake Mathews, California
Community in Riverside County · population 5,972 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $760,900
- Household income
- $94,444
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 40.3
Lake Mathews is a community of 5,972 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $760,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 85% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of California towns.
How Lake Mathews 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 Mathews is worth $760,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.1 times the median household income of $94,444, which is more affordable than 25% of California towns. Median rent is $1,866 a month. 78.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake Mathews | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $760,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,866 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $94,444 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 78.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.6% | — |
Who lives in Lake Mathews
| People | Lake Mathews | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.8% | — |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 35.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Lake Mathews
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 37.4°F. About 10.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 100 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 25 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Mathews since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 22, 2008 about 4.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 9, 2012.
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 Mathews itself the ACS puts it at 12.7%.
Towns near Lake Mathews
- Woodcrest, CA3.7 mi · 15,378 people · home $786,300
- Mead Valley, CA4.8 mi · 19,819 people · home $446,200
- El Sobrante, CA6.3 mi · 14,039 people · home $836,300
- Good Hope, CA6.4 mi · 9,468 people · home $391,700
- Temescal Valley, CA7.3 mi · 26,232 people · home $710,400
- Riverside, CA7.9 mi · 314,998 people · home $584,800
- Meadowbrook, CA8.4 mi · 3,142 people · home $264,600
- Perris, CA8.7 mi · 78,700 people · home $474,700
Lake Mathews questions
Is Lake Mathews, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Mathews scores better for retirees than 51% of California towns and quieter than 68%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.3).
How much does a house cost in Lake Mathews?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake Mathews is valued at $760,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,444, so homes cost about 8.1 times income. Median rent is $1,866 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake Mathews?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 37.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 10.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Lake Mathews get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Mathews since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008. 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)