Menifee
One of California's newest and fastest-growing cities (incorporated 2008) straddling the I-215 corridor between Perris and Murrieta — home of Del Webb's historic 1962 Sun City, Audie Murphy Ranch, Menifee Lakes, and Countryside Marketplace
Why People Move Here
Menifee is one of California's newest and fastest-growing cities (incorporated October 1, 2008 as Riverside County's 26th city), formed from the merger of the unincorporated communities of Sun City, Menifee, Romoland, and Quail Valley. Population grew 22.1% from 2019 to 2024 to approximately 110,300, with World Population Review projecting 120,051 by 2026. The city straddles the I-215 corridor between Perris (north) and Murrieta (south), anchored by Del Webb's historic Sun City — opened June 1962 as one of the nation's first age-restricted HOPA 55+ developments, with 272 homes sold in the first three days and 4,762 residences built by 1981. Since incorporation, master-planned growth has accelerated: Audie Murphy Ranch (30+ acres of parks, The Plunge pool, The Ranch House clubhouse, 20-acre Sports Park), Menifee Lakes (private lake and 18-hole country club), Canyon Hills, and 21 active new-home communities with Lennar as the most active developer. The 330-acre Legado master plan targeting 1,000 homes and a 13-acre public park is scheduled for summer 2026 completion. Median home values range from ~$547K (Zillow typical-value index) to ~$565K (Redfin Jan 2026 median sale, +0.9% YoY) to ~$580K (Orchard 30-day median, +1.8% YoY). Retail is anchored by Countryside Marketplace and Menifee Town Center at I-215 & Newport Rd. Menifee is #18 on SafeWise's 2024 Safest Cities in California list and #17 on the 2026 list.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Menifee Union School District (K-8)
C+- 13,989 students across 18 campuses (2024-25) — TK through 8th grade only; no MUSD high schools
- Elementary campuses include Herk Bouris Elementary (796 students), Evans Ranch Elementary (803), Oak Meadows Elementary (846), Chester W. Morrison Elementary (526), Freedom Crest Elementary (703)
- Middle schools include Hans Christensen Middle and Bell Mountain Middle
- Student-teacher ratio ~24:1
- California universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for age-4 children
Perris Union High School District (9-12)
C+- Ranked #1462 of 1,908 California districts (2022-2023 proficiency testing)
- Graduation rate 92% (up from 90% over five years)
- Math proficiency 12% (vs. 34% CA avg); Reading 37% (vs. 47% CA avg)
- Menifee-area campuses: Heritage High School and Paloma Valley High School (both in Menifee)
- Also serves Perris High (est. 1893), Perris Lake High (continuation), and CBI Alternative
Romoland School District (TK-8)
C+- TK-8 district serving northern Menifee (Romoland area), Homeland, and parts of northern Perris
- Feeds to Perris Union HSD for grades 9-12
Mt. San Jacinto College - Menifee Valley Campus
B- Community college campus opened 1990 as MSJC's second campus
- Home to the MSJC Allied Health programs (nursing, RN, EMT, etc.)
- Transfer pathways to UC Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino, and UC/CSU system
- Part of the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
FAQ — Menifee
What is the commute from Menifee to Los Angeles?
Menifee has no in-city Metrolink station — the nearest is Perris-South (1304 Case Rd, Perris) about 10-12 minutes north via I-215. From Perris-South, the Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line runs 14 weekday trains (7 each direction) to LA Union Station via Riverside-Downtown, Corona-North Main, Fullerton, and Buena Park, with a total rail time of roughly 2 hours 15 minutes (extension opened June 6, 2016). By car, the route is I-215 north to SR-60 west to I-10 west — about 90-120 minutes off-peak and often 2 hours 15 minutes or more during rush hour. I-215 narrows to two lanes through Menifee and regularly backs up at Scott Rd, Newport Rd, and McCall Blvd interchanges.
What schools serve Menifee, CA?
Menifee has a split-district structure. Menifee Union School District (MUSD) serves K-8 only with 13,989 students across 18 campuses (Niche grade C+, student-teacher ratio ~24:1); there are no MUSD high schools. Students transition to Perris Union High School District (PUHSD) for grades 9-12, where the two in-Menifee PUHSD campuses are Heritage High School and Paloma Valley High School (PUHSD overall graduation rate 92%, ranked #1462 of 1,908 California districts). Portions of northern Menifee fall under Romoland School District (TK-8), also feeding PUHSD. Mt. San Jacinto College - Menifee Valley Campus (opened 1990) provides community college education and Allied Health programs. Verify enrollment eligibility by specific address before purchase — boundary lines are not intuitive.
What is the housing market like in Menifee?
Redfin reports a January 2026 median sale price of $565,000 (up 0.9% year-over-year). Zillow reports a typical home value of $546,880 (down 3.7% year-over-year). Orchard reports a 30-day median of $580,000 (up 1.8% year-over-year). The range reflects methodology differences (list vs. sale, typical-value index vs. median sale). Menifee spans a wide price band: older Sun City tracts (ZIP 92586) at the low end, and new master-planned construction in Audie Murphy Ranch, Menifee Lakes, Canyon Hills, and Legado at the upper end (low $500Ks to $900K+). Twenty-one new-home communities are active, with Lennar as the most active developer. Most homes built after 2000 carry Mello-Roos Community Facilities District assessments that add $2,000-$6,000/year to property tax for 20-25 year terms. Verify current listings on Redfin and Zillow and CFD status with a title report before making decisions.
What is Sun City in Menifee?
Sun City is the historic Del Webb-built neighborhood within Menifee, opened in June 1962 as the second Del Webb retirement community in the nation (after Sun City, Arizona). On opening weekend, 100,000 visitors came and 272 homes sold in three days. The community was built out to 4,762 residences between 1962 and 1981 by Del Webb and Presley Co. The Sun City Civic Association enforces age-restrictions in the original core per the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) — making Sun City one of the oldest HOPA 55+ age-restricted communities in the country. Sun City was incorporated into the City of Menifee when Menifee became a city on October 1, 2008. Verify HOPA 55+ age-restriction status directly per property before purchase — not all Sun City neighborhoods may still be covered by current HOPA enforcement. Sun City Library (11,000 sq ft, rebuilt 2010) and Menifee Global Medical Center (84-bed hospital) both anchor the neighborhood.
What is Audie Murphy Ranch?
Audie Murphy Ranch is a master-planned community in Menifee named for the decorated World War II veteran and actor Audie Murphy. The community features more than 30 acres of parks, anchored by the 20-acre Audie Murphy Ranch Sports Park with baseball diamonds, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a splash pad. Two community centers serve residents: The Plunge, which has the largest pool in the community, and The Ranch House, which has a clubhouse, two smaller pools, and a playground. La Lareda Park offers pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts. The community continues to expand with new phases of single-family new construction featuring energy-efficient designs and access to the resort-style amenities.
What are the crime statistics in Menifee, CA?
Menifee's violent crime rate is approximately 2.8 per 1,000 residents and property crime rate 14.0 per 1,000 — both substantially below the California state averages of 4.2 and 25.3 respectively. Motor vehicle theft in 2024 was 150.36 per 100,000 residents (176 crimes; down 33% year-over-year). Menifee ranked #18 on SafeWise's 2024 Safest Cities in California list and #17 on the 2026 list. The Menifee Police Department was established in 2020 as an independent department (previously the city contracted with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department) and began reporting to California state crime systems in October 2024, so some 2024 data may be partial-year. Sources: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, California DOJ OpenJustice, NeighborhoodScout, and SafeWise.
What healthcare options are in Menifee?
Menifee Global Medical Center at 28400 McCall Blvd (Sun City) is an 84-bed Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospital founded in 1989, with services including a Total Joint Replacement Program, Cardiology, and Medical Detoxification. A+ Urgent Care Centers in Menifee Lakes and Rancho Family Medical Group Menifee provide primary and urgent care. Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta is about 15 minutes south. SWH Temecula Valley Hospital (140-bed, 5-story, 350+ affiliated physicians) is about 25 minutes south. Riverside University Health System Medical Center (Moreno Valley, ~30 minutes north) is a 439-bed teaching hospital and Level II trauma center — the only public hospital in Riverside County. Loma Linda University Medical Center's main campus is about 50 minutes northeast for tertiary care.
Who are the largest employers in Menifee?
Menifee Union School District is the largest single in-city employer with approximately 1,800 employees across 18 campuses. Menifee Global Medical Center (84-bed hospital in Sun City), the City of Menifee municipal government, Mt. San Jacinto College - Menifee Valley Campus, and the Menifee Police Department (established 2020) are additional major employers. Retail employment concentrates at Countryside Marketplace (50+ tenants including Target, Tilly's, ULTA, Home Goods, BJ's, Panera, Chipotle, In-N-Out) and Menifee Town Center (Aldi, Ralphs, Party City). Many residents commute to the adjacent Perris Harley Knox Logistics Center + March Inland Port (Amazon, Kraft Heinz, Lowe's, Walgreens, Home Depot, Whirlpool), to Temecula wine country employers (~15-20 min S), to Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta, or to Moreno Valley Amazon/ProLogis (~25-35 min N).
What is the sales tax and property tax in Menifee?
Menifee's sales tax rate is 7.75% (2025), comprising the 6.25% California state base, 1.00% Riverside County rate, and a 0.50% special district measure. The base property tax rate is approximately 1.1579% (1% California ad valorem + voter-approved district debt). Most homes built after 2000 carry Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) assessments that can add approximately $2,000 to $6,000 per year to the property-tax bill for typical 20-25 year terms. The City established its first citywide maintenance CFD (2015-2) in April 2015 to fund street lighting, road and landscape maintenance, and street sweeping; new developments annex into it. ZIP 92585 median effective rate is about 0.90% and ZIP 92586 (Sun City older tracts) about 0.65%. Always verify CFD status for a specific address with a title report before purchase. California state income tax is progressive up to a 13.3% top marginal rate and applies to retirement-income distributions.
When was Menifee incorporated and how did it form?
On June 3, 2008, residents of the unincorporated communities in the Menifee area voted to incorporate, and the City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008 as Riverside County's 26th city. The city was formed by merging four previously unincorporated communities: Sun City (the historic Del Webb-built 55+ community, opened 1962), Menifee (named for 19th-century local miner Luther Menifee Wilson), Romoland (to the north), and Quail Valley (to the west in the Lake Elsinore foothills). Since incorporation, Menifee has been one of California's fastest-growing cities, with population rising roughly from 77,500 at incorporation to approximately 110,300 by 2024 (+22.1% from 2019 to 2024). The Menifee Police Department was established in 2020, transitioning public safety from a Riverside County Sheriff's Department contract to an independent city department.
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