The Town Files

Mead Valley, California

Community in Riverside County · population 19,819 (2020 Census)

Map: where Mead Valley is in CaliforniaMead Valley
Median home
$446,200
Household income
$86,795
Jan low / Jul high
37° / 94°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
31.2

Mead Valley is a community of 19,819 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $446,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 81% of California towns, easier by car than 71% of California towns.

How Mead Valley 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.

Mead Valley lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement8th pctFamilies58th pctQuiet38th pctWalkability42nd pctFirst-time buyers58th pctYoung professionals12th pctVibrancy45th pctHip & trendy2nd pctCollege town63rd pctUpscale26th pctVacation homes81st pctSeaside characterbottomCycling56th pctTransit41st pctDriving71st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Mead Valley is worth $446,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $86,795, which is more affordable than 74% of California towns. Median rent is $1,926 a month. 72.1% of households own their home.

Mead Valley vs Riverside County vs typical California townMead ValleyRiverside CountyTypical California townHome value$446,200$557,300$596,900Household income$86,795$93,074$91,557Monthly rent$1,926$1,901$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingMead ValleyTypical California town
Median home value$446,200$596,900
Median rent$1,926$1,827
Median household income$86,795$91,557
Home value ÷ income5.1×6.4×
Homeownership72.1%67.4%
Median year built19791977
Seasonal / vacation homes2.2%—

Who lives in Mead Valley

PeopleMead ValleyTypical California town
Median age31.240.2
Age 65 and over8.0%17.7%
Under 1824.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.5%27.7%
Below the poverty line9.6%10.3%
Veterans2.6%—
Born outside the U.S.37.4%—
Work from home9.0%13.4%
Average commute32.1 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband95.6%93.3%

Weather in Mead Valley

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 0.1 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.

Mead Valley monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing66°37°Jan66°38°Feb71°40°Mar74°44°Apr80°51°May87°56°Jun94°62°Jul95°62°Aug92°59°Sep82°49°Oct72°41°Nov65°37°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.02.41.50.80.10.30.10.10.40.20.50.71.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the March Afb station (5.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mead Valley 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 1.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 9, 2012.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Mead Valley by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s52000s22010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 2, 1960.

Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996

Storm events in Riverside County since 1996 by typeHeat71Flood135Drought104Wildfire233High Wind661Dust Storm46Heavy Rain92Heavy Snow60
NOAA Storm Events Database, Riverside County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 54 deaths recorded.

Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 20, 2026FireFM-5636: Bain Fire
September 11, 2024FireFM-5538: Airport Fire
July 21, 2024FireFM-5515: Hawarden Fire
November 21, 2023HurricaneDR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary
January 9, 2023FloodEM-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 Mead Valley itself the ACS puts it at 7.8%.

Largest industries in Riverside CountyHealth care & social assistan…132,092 jobs · $53,956Retail94,170 jobs · $44,156Hotels & restaurants90,357 jobs · $32,150Construction74,216 jobs · $73,089Transportation & warehousing73,962 jobs · $62,875Administrative & support50,769 jobs · $45,983
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Riverside County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Riverside 4.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Mead Valley

Mead Valley questions

Is Mead Valley, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mead Valley scores better for retirees than 8% of California towns and quieter than 38%. 8.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.2).

How much does a house cost in Mead Valley?

The median owner-occupied home in Mead Valley is valued at $446,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $86,795, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is $1,926 a month.

What is the weather like in Mead Valley?

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 0.1 inches of snow.

Does Mead Valley get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mead Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mead Valley's Census boundary (GEOID 0646646). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.