Moreno Valley is a city located in Riverside County California. Moreno Valley has a 2024 population of 213,566. Moreno Valley is currently growing at a rate of 0.55% annually and its population has increased by 2.25% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 208,868 in 2020.
The average household income in Moreno Valley is $98,211 with a poverty rate of 12.89%. The median age in Moreno Valley is 31.8 years: 31 years for males, and 32.8 years for females.
Moreno Valley is located in Riverside County, California about 16 miles south of San Bernardino. The city is part of the San Bernardino-Riverside Metro Area, also known as the Inland Empire, which has a metro population estimated at 4.2 million. Moreno Valley is one of the ten largest cities in the Inland Empire which usually refers to all of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Moreno Valley also belongs to the Greater Los Angeles area which is the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States with an estimated population of 18.8 million.
Moreno Valley has a diverse ethnic and racial makeup. Since the 1990s, African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos have replaced the White non-Hispanic majority. The city is home to many immigrants from Southeast Asia, Central America, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caribbean, and the Philippines. The city is home to a community of Samoans who settled largely in Sunnymead. Between 2006 and 2007, the black population of Moreno Valley increased by 13% as many African-American families left Los Angeles County for a lower cost of living and greater opportunities. During the same time, Latinos became the majority.
When Moreno Valley became a city in 1984, it had a population of 49,700, up from just 18,800 in 1970. Rapid growth led to a population of more than 118,000 within just six years. By 1990, Moreno Valley was the second largest city in Riverside County. Throughout the 1990s, Moreno Valley was one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
While Moreno Valley is no longer growing as rapidly as it did in the 1980s and 1990s, it continues to see sizable growth due to the rising cost of living in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. In 2018, Riverside County ranked as the <a href=”https://www.pe.com/2018/12/28/riverside-county-tops-california-in-population-growth-in-2018/”>top county in California for population growth with a county-wide population growth of more than 27,000 people.
As a city, Moreno Valley’s history is fairly short. The region was settled in the 1880s by farmers who depended on water from Frank Brown’s Bear Valley Land and Water Company which pumped water from nearby Bear Valley. The first townsite in Moreno Valley was located near today’s Van Buren Boulevard -- a road then called the Road to Temecula which later became part of the I-215 highway. The directors and officers of the company named the town Moreno in honor of Frank Brown as “moreno” is Spanish for “brown.” By the 1890s, the area was called Moreno Valley.
The whole valley was practically deserted by the 1900s after a severe drought and increased water demands from agriculture decreased the water supply. In 1900, the area was called the “<a href=”https://www.pe.com/2014/12/07/moreno-valley-citys-30-year-history-includes-little-known-facts/”>City on Wheels” as steam-powered tractors hauled about 100 homes every year down to Riverside. Moreno Valley was revived in 1918 when the U.S. Air Force built March Field outside of Riverside to train fighter pilots. March Field eventually became a full Air Force base and its presence allowed Moreno and nearby unincorporated communities to grow.
Moreno Valley grew rapidly during the 1980s when the City of Moreno Valley was incorporated and absorbed the towns of Edgemont, Sunnymead, and Moreno.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Moreno Valley was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
Other race | 80,306 | 38.32% |
White | 53,760 | 25.65% |
Black or African American | 36,872 | 17.59% |
Two or more races | 24,149 | 11.52% |
Asian | 11,641 | 5.55% |
Native American | 1,700 | 0.81% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1,150 | 0.55% |
Other race
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 53,958 | 3.87 | 63 | 37 |
Married | 29,354 | 4.38 | 73.2 | 26.8 |
Female | 11,216 | 4.24 | 46.1 | 53.9 |
Non Family | 8,533 | 1.56 | 53.3 | 46.7 |
Male | 4,855 | 3.91 | 57.7 | 42.3 |
4.12
Average Family Size
3.87
Average Household Size
63.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 13,087 | 10.16% |
Associates Degree | 10,993 | 8.53% |
Bachelors Degree | 15,389 | 11.94% |
Graduate Degree | 6,734 | 5.23% |
High School Graduate | 38,621 | 29.98% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 13,557 | 10.52% |
Some College | 30,460 | 23.64% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 71,517 | 48,985 | 6,755 |
Other Race | 45,056 | 29,556 | 2,869 |
Black | 23,982 | 22,409 | 5,998 |
White | 21,001 | 19,582 | 4,966 |
2+ Races | 13,985 | 10,976 | 2,971 |
Asian | 8,479 | 7,591 | 3,316 |
Native American | 1,125 | 936 | 110 |
Islander | 638 | 561 | 231 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among black people with a rate of 93.44%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 39.11%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $57,685 | $66,772 | $51,318 |
Graduate Degree | $85,479 | $92,188 | $80,910 |
High School Graduate | $38,916 | $44,378 | $30,472 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $33,138 | $40,148 | $25,020 |
Overall | $42,245 | $47,173 | $36,106 |
Some College | $45,032 | $52,933 | $38,584 |
$42,245
Average Earnings
$47,173
Average Male
$36,106
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
50.46% of Moreno Valley residents speak only English, while 49.54% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 44.06% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 125,776 | 16,887 | 13.43% |
Other | 79,923 | 10,894 | 13.63% |
Black | 36,541 | 5,074 | 13.89% |
White | 27,893 | 2,458 | 8.81% |
Multiple | 24,081 | 2,060 | 8.55% |
Asian | 11,629 | 1,679 | 14.44% |
Native | 1,674 | 324 | 19.35% |
Islander | 1,150 | 316 | 27.48% |
12.89%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.73%
Male Poverty Rate
14.05%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Moreno Valley is Islander, with 27.48% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Moreno Valley is Multiple, with 8.55% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.06%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.63%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.9%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 14.95% |
High School | 11.34% |
Some College | 9.74% |
Bachelors or Greater | 6.39% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 24.62% |
Female Unemployed | 21.97% |
Female Employed | 6.88% |
Male Employed | 5.38% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $82,697 | $99,010 |
Households | $82,637 | $98,211 |
Married Families | $98,889 | $113,853 |
Non Families | $55,530 | $71,086 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.3%
Male Marriage Rate
42.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
7,497
Number of Veterans
6,713
Male Veterans
784
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 2,217 |
Second Gulf War | 2,131 |
First Gulf War | 1,657 |
Korea | 241 |
World War II | 59 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 2,147 |
55 to 64 | 1,790 |
65 to 74 | 1,715 |
75+ | 1,096 |
18 to 34 | 749 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 2,797 | 6.85% |
Black | 2,418 | 8.83% |
Hispanic | 2,259 | 2.56% |
2+ Races | 909 | 5.31% |
Other Race | 851 | 1.52% |
Asian | 443 | 4.74% |
Native American | 64 | 4.86% |
Islander | 15 | 2.12% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.95%
Veteran Poverty Rate
27.69%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64.6%
Labor Force Participation
59.5%
Employment Rate
7.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
64.16%
Born in Moreno Valley
75.12%
Native Born
24.88%
Foreign Born
12.22%
Non Citizen
12.66%
Naturalized
75.12% of Moreno Valley residents were born in the United States, with 64.16% having been born in California. 12.22% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 219,439 | 1,174 | 0.54% |
2028 | 218,265 | 1,175 | 0.54% |
2027 | 217,090 | 1,175 | 0.54% |
2026 | 215,915 | 1,174 | 0.55% |
2025 | 214,741 | 1,175 | 0.55% |
2024 | 213,566 | 1,174 | 0.55% |
2023 | 212,392 | 744 | 0.35% |
2022 | 211,648 | 576 | 0.27% |
2021 | 211,072 | 2,204 | 1.06% |
2020 | 208,868 | -2,142 | -1.02% |
2019 | 211,010 | 1,789 | 0.86% |
2018 | 209,221 | 2,497 | 1.21% |
2017 | 206,724 | 2,416 | 1.18% |
2016 | 204,308 | 1,772 | 0.87% |
2015 | 202,536 | 1,523 | 0.76% |
2014 | 201,013 | 1,487 | 0.75% |
2013 | 199,526 | 1,325 | 0.67% |
2012 | 198,201 | 1,737 | 0.88% |
2011 | 196,464 | 2,296 | 1.18% |
2010 | 194,168 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 142,381 | 23,602 | 19.87% |
1990 | 118,779 | 90,659 | 322.4% |
1980 | 28,120 | -191,319 | -87.19% |