Hemet vs Rancho Cordova
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $352,200 in Hemet and $477,600 in Rancho Cordova.
- Households earn more in Rancho Cordova ($89,585 vs $57,719 median).
- Hemet has the warmer winter: January highs of 66°F vs 57°F.
- Hemet has more scorching days: 120 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 90.
- Rancho Cordova is growing faster: +10.4% since 2020 vs +4.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Rancho Cordova (27 vs 36 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Hemet, CA | Rancho Cordova, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 93,649 | 87,554 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.3% | +10.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,200 | 2,533 |
| Median age | 39.8 | 36.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $57,719 | $89,585 |
| Median home value | $352,200 | $477,600 |
| Home value to income | 6.1× | 5.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,575 | $1,787 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.4 | 106.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 129.3 | 130.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,800 | $80,000 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 36.4 | 26.7 |
| Work from home | 12% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8% | 7.3% |
| Poverty rate | 14.9% | 12.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 66° / 40° | 57° / 41° |
| July high / low | 95° / 64° | 94° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 19 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 120 | 90 |
| Nights below freezing | 15 | 4 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 98.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 35% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +0.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.9% | +19.9% |
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: Hemet: March to May and October to November. Rancho Cordova: February to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Hemet weather by month and Rancho Cordova weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,800 in Hemet and $80,000 in Rancho Cordova. Moving from Hemet to Rancho Cordova, you would need about $75,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Hemet and Rancho Cordova
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Hemet and Rancho Cordova.
Which would you pick?
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