Elk Grove vs Moreno Valley
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $503,700 in Moreno Valley and $630,100 in Elk Grove.
- Households earn more in Elk Grove ($125,924 vs $93,222 median).
- Moreno Valley has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 57°F.
- Elk Grove is growing faster: +5% since 2020 vs +2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Elk Grove (31 vs 36 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Elk Grove, CA | Moreno Valley, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 185,007 | 214,263 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5% | +2.7% |
| People per square mile | 4,343 | 4,176 |
| Median age | 39.4 | 32.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 18% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $125,924 | $93,222 |
| Median home value | $630,100 | $503,700 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 5.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,262 | $2,135 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.7 | 106.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 130.2 | 129.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $80,000 | $79,800 |
| Homeowners | 74% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.8 | 35.5 |
| Work from home | 21% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Poverty rate | 8% | 11.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 41° | 67° / 41° |
| July high / low | 94° / 61° | 95° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 90 | 104 |
| Nights below freezing | 4 | 3 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.1 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 35% | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +19.9% | +35.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Elk Grove: February to May and October to November. Moreno Valley: February to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Elk Grove weather by month and Moreno Valley weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $80,000 in Elk Grove and $79,800 in Moreno Valley. Moving from Elk Grove to Moreno Valley, you would need about $74,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Elk Grove and Moreno Valley
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Elk Grove and Moreno Valley.
Which would you pick?
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