Riverside, California Housing Market

What stands out in Riverside?

• Prices were above the year before in 92% of months: among the most consistent price growth of 765 tracked cities. Drops here have been short.

What does a shrinking population mean for Riverside landlords?

The population in Riverside's ZIP codes fell 1.7% over five years. 4.8% of homes are vacant, lower than most tracked cities. Households still grew 4.8% while the housing stock grew 4.2%. Fewer people living in more households means rental demand has held up better than the population suggests. Check vacancy by ZIP before you buy.

What is the fair market rent in Riverside?

HUD sets one fair market rent for Riverside County. For fiscal year 2026:

• 1 bedroom: $1,777 a month. Down 4% on last year, up 88% since FY2016.
• 2 bedrooms: $2,201 a month. Down 5% on last year, up 85% since FY2016.
• 3 bedrooms: $2,912 a month. Down 5% on last year, up 74% since FY2016.
• 4 bedrooms: $3,514 a month. Down 6% on last year, up 71% since FY2016.

The figures include tenant-paid utilities and apply to all of Riverside County, so one home's rent can sit well above or below them. See fair market rent by city.

Is now a good time to buy in Riverside?

The median asking price is 3.0% below its May 2024 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller. Riverside prices have risen in 102 of the last 111 months. Drops here have been short and shallow. Buying in a slow month has rarely hurt a long hold.

This market is turning. Which way is not settled yet. Check the monthly numbers above before you commit.

Who will rent from you in Riverside?

In Riverside, 40 out of every 100 households rent. Most own their home. The renter share is shrinking. Five years ago it was 42 in 100. Renter households here average 3.1 people. Families rent here. Buy bedrooms. Studios will sit.

The median Riverside household earns $98,000 a year. Incomes here have grown 5.7% a year since 2019. Incomes are rising faster than home prices. Affordability is improving. A typical home costs 7.3 times the median income. Most locals cannot buy. That keeps rental demand deep. It also caps the rent they can pay. At 30% of income, a tenant on the median income can pay about $2,450 a month.

To see what one Riverside address would rent for and cash flow, run it through the app.

How much can you negotiate in Riverside?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 43 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 46. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. Few sellers are dropping their price. Asking prices are holding firm. Your discount will come from one stale listing.

The typical Riverside listing has been on the market 56 days. There are 504 homes for sale in Riverside. That is 3.1 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 873. Supply is shrinking against last year.

What to do about it

• Start in 92507, 92508, and 92501, where sellers are weakest: in 92507, 20% of sellers have cut and the typical listing has been up 61 days.
• Look for listings older than 60 days with a price cut.

What numbers should you underwrite a Riverside deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +3.4%/yr. Riverside grew 5.9% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, Riverside grows about 3.4% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices fell 0.8% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 6. 18% of Riverside listings have cut their asking price. Underwrite your exit below asking.
• Competition when you exit — -7%. Homes for sale in Riverside are down 7% on last year, so your resale faces less competition than today's comps did.

Read how population change affects rentals and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in Riverside?

The median asking price in Riverside is about $713,000 as of Sep 2026, up 5.3% from a year ago. The typical listing is 4% larger than a year ago, and asking price per square foot is down 0.8%. So the size of homes on the market explains much of the rise. This is the asking price on homes listed for sale. Sites that report sold prices or estimated home values will show a different number. Our Riverside figures cover the 15 ZIP codes with a Riverside mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

Is Riverside a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Neither side has the upper hand in Riverside right now. We compare Riverside with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 29% fewer homes for sale; the typical listing has been up 35% more days; 18% of sellers have cut their price, against 23% then.

Are Riverside home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 3.0% below its May 2024 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller.

Which Riverside ZIP code has the most negotiating room?

92507. Only 33 homes under contract for every 100 still for sale. 20% of sellers there have cut their price, and the typical listing has been up 61 days.

What is the best month to buy a house in Riverside?

Across 9 full years, Riverside asking prices ran lowest in January, about 4.4% below the year's average. They peaked in August. The most homes for sale show up in September, about 15% above the yearly average.

What is the fair market rent in Riverside?

HUD's fiscal year 2026 fair market rent for Riverside County is $2,201 a month for 2 bedrooms and $2,912 for 3 bedrooms. The figures include tenant-paid utilities and cover the whole county.