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Riverside County

Riverside County: the most house for the money in Southern California, as mortgage rates top 7%

By Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America

Riverside County still offers the most house for the money in Southern California, but higher mortgage rates are adding to the monthly cost of buying, so the full payment deserves a close look.

For buyers who want more room, Riverside County still offers the biggest homes at the lowest price per square foot in Southern California. Realtor.com's September 2026 data show the median Riverside County listing had 1,930 square feet, the largest of the five Southern California counties Choice of America serves. The median asking price per square foot was $329 (FRED MEDLISPRIPERSQUFEE6065), the lowest of the five and the lowest in Riverside County since August 2023.

How that compares: in the same month, the median price per square foot was $331 in San Bernardino County, $587 in San Diego County, $620 in Los Angeles County, and $704 in Orange County. Put another way, at Orange County's median price per square foot, a home the size of Riverside County's median listing would cost about $1.36 million, more than twice Riverside County's median asking price of $629,000 (FRED MEDLISPRI6065). That median is down about 1.6% from September 2025 and sits just above January's $628,800, the lowest of this year.

Rates are the challenge. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.40% in the week of October 8, 2026, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey on FRED (MORTGAGE30US). That is the highest since November 2023, up from 6.71% at the start of September, 6.30% a year ago, and this year's low of 5.98% in late February.

What that means for a monthly payment: as an illustration, a buyer who puts 20% down on a home at the county's median asking price of $629,000 would borrow $503,200. At 7.40%, principal and interest on a 30-year loan comes to about $3,484 a month. At last year's 6.30% it would have been about $3,115, and at February's 5.98% about $3,010. That is roughly $370 to $475 more each month, before property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and any Mello-Roos assessments.

Buyers are moving more carefully. There were 2,469 pending listings in September (FRED PENLISCOU6065), meaning homes with an accepted offer that had not yet closed. That is down about 9% from 2,724 a year earlier and the lowest September count since 2017. Against 7,065 homes actively for sale (FRED ACTLISCOU6065), about the same as a year ago, there were roughly 35 homes in escrow for every 100 on the market, compared with about 38 a year ago, according to Realtor.com's pending ratio.

Sellers are adding supply. New listings rose to 2,910 in September (FRED NEWLISCOU6065), up about 10% from August and about 3% from a year earlier. Realtor.com reports that 17.0% of Riverside County listings had a price reduction in September, down from 18.0% in August and close to 17.3% a year ago, while just 1.2% had a price increase. The median home spent 62 days on the market (FRED MEDDAYONMAR6065), the same as in August and a few days quicker than the 65 days of September 2025.

What this means day to day: from Riverside, Corona, Eastvale, and Jurupa Valley to Moreno Valley, Beaumont, and Hemet, from Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, and Lake Elsinore to Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Indio, the space advantage is real, but so is the monthly cost of borrowing. Buyers should get a fresh rate quote and pre-approval, since a summer approval may not match today's payment, and should weigh the full monthly cost, including property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and Mello-Roos, which are common in newer communities. With about one listing in six showing a price cut, a seller credit toward a rate buydown or closing costs may lower the payment more than a similar cut to the price. Commute time matters too, so test the drive at rush hour before you commit. Sellers should price close to recent comparable sales from the first day, since buyers have plenty to compare and homes are taking about two months to find a buyer.

At Choice of America, we help buyers and sellers across Riverside County compare neighborhoods, payments, and trade-offs city by city. Visit our Riverside County page for local guidance, or call or text us to talk through your plans.

Choice of America · Riverside County real estate

Dr. Hamid Rowshan, DRE #02004794, company DRE #02240008. Choice of America, serving Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Call or text 833-THIS-BROKER, (833) 842-7465.

Payment figures are an illustration based on the median asking price, a 20% down payment, and Freddie Mac's average rates; they are not a loan quote. The $1.36 million figure multiplies Riverside County's median listing size by Orange County's median price per square foot and is for comparison only.

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Dr. Hamid Rowshan · DRE #02004794 · Company DRE #02240008 · Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego counties.

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