Temecula or Murrieta?

In this article and video we will give our opinion and experience on whether Temecula or Murrieta is a better fit  and why?. We love both cities, but it really depends on things like employment, budget and what you enjoy doing in regards to recreational activities that should drive your decision.

Murrieta is located just north of Temecula off the 15 or 215 freeway. When you look at them on a map there really is not much difference in regards to population and size. Both contain around 200,000 people and are around 30 square miles. 

Employment & Traffic

One huge factor and something we tell everybody is you need to be strategic in regards to  your employment and where you live in Temecula or Murrieta. Everybody hears rumors about how bad Southern California traffic can be, they are all true. During rush hour you can spend extra hours in your car every week depending on where you live. Living in Murrieta will definitely be your better choice if  your employment is Riverside, Los Angeles or in that general area. You will spend on average 30- 40 minutes less in your car everyday.

 On the flip side, if you work in San Diego or in that general area,  South Temecula  should be  at the top of your list.  This will be 30 to 40 minutes less everyday as opposed to living in Murrieta.

 Moral of the story? If you work North live in Murrieta, if you work South live in Temecula.  

Growth

 Growth has been rapid over the last 20 years in both cities. With populations growing over 120% there is both the good and the bad. The good? Home values will rise and more amenities will be at your fingertips. The bad? It will be less and less of that  laid-back country life and traffic will become more regular.

 In my personal opinion, it’s going to take many years for either city to become over crowded. Even though Temecula can get busy you still have that sense of peace and quiet, especially in most of the communities where you will be living.

Housing, Temecula or Murrieta?

The video in this blog post goes in depth in regards to the Home Market over the past few years. Generally speaking, Temecula is going to be anywhere from 3% to 10% more depending on which area you want to live. Obviously paying more for home is not necessarily the best thing but in our opinion Temecula home values will rise quicker and have higher upside in the future because of the many draws Temecula has. From wineries, RV parks, Casino and Old Town Temecula has become a hotspot for vacationers and day-trippers. Inevitably, when these vacationers realize how beautiful Temecula is they want to move here. When people want to move here, it helps drive home values. 

Your Lifestyle and Hobbies?

Temecula or Murrieta? Well, both cities have  a variety of lifestyles and plenty of things to do. Whether you want to live on a golf course, have horses or grow crops both Murrieta and Temecula have areas in which you can do this. I have a few blog posts on horse property and golf areas in Temecula that you might want to look at. The horse property areas are Meadowview and Los Ranchitos. Golf Course communities include Redhawk and Temeku Hills in Temecula and Bear Creek in Murrieta. If you are avid golfers and like the idea of living on a golf course, my suggestion would be Bear Creek.  My mother and father-in-law live there for years and loved it.

If you are looking for larger lots and like the idea of growing crops like citrus trees and avocado trees I have  a video on De Luz. De Luz is just west of the 15 freeway in Temecula and is a wonderful place with awesome views and country living.

Things to do

When it comes to things to do, does Temecula or Murrieta win? Well, both cities have restaurants, an old town area, hiking and golfing but I do have to give the edge to Temecula. Temecula has the wineries, which are awesome but with the amount of restaurants, outdoor mall,and Old Town in Temecula,  Murrieta doesn’t compare in my opinion. Having said that, the appeal of less amenities and people in Murrieta might attract you

Schools

 Schools in  Temecula or Murrieta will be in the top 20% for schools in all of California. If you do a search, most schools in Temecula and Murrieta are going to rate 8 to 10 on both overall score and test scoring.

Safety

I’ve lived in many places throughout Southern California and Temecula or Murrieta are incredibly safe. I feel safer in both these cities than even living at the beach. You don’t see many homeless and drugs are not evident like many of the beach cities in Southern California. I also feel both cities are incredibly clean. If you walk down the streets you’re not going to see garbage and people seem to have pride in ownership and love their communities they live in. When you start home shopping, you will  notice how well kept each of these individual communities are. It really is nice to come home every day to a beautiful area or community. 

Weather

One of the reasons people move to Southern California is the weather and both Murrieta and Temecula are great for that. I have read  that Marietta is a little hotter than Temecula but in my opinion it’s not going to be noticeable. Your hot months in both cities will be June, July, August and part of September. Rain is usually December January and February. Overall, we love the weather in both of these cities. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning and seeing the sun 300 days a year. I even prefer the weather in Temecula over the beach. Yes, the beach is going to be around 10 degrees cooler but it is very humid. The last summer we lived at the beach it seemed like we were constantly sweating and it was very uncomfortable. 

Traffic

I’m going to give the win to Murrieta on this one and we are referring to traffic in the city, not the freeway, Even though the population is relatively similar in Temecula or Murrieta we believe that there are more day-trippers or vacationers visiting things like the casino, wineries and Old Town. The streets  in the town of Temecula are definitely  going to have heavier traffic.  As we have mentioned in countless other videos and blogs, once you get inside  the community where you live in Temecula it’s going to be very quiet. 

Future of Real Estate

Post Temecula and Murrieta are going to continue to grow. As the appeal for big cities diminishes we personally feel places like Temecula and Murrieta will grow tremendously. This will drive real estate prices in both cities to the upside. I do not see Murrieta overtaking Temecula anytime soon in regards to percentages and median sales price of homes. If you’re looking for pure investment purposes we would go with Temecula. If you’re a family looking for convenience in regards to work and life balance, outdoor activities or safety, either city is going to be a great option.

Thank you for reading our blog, we are  a local husband and wife real estate brokerage (Greenleaf Real Estate) and Appraisal Company. If you have any questions regarding real estate in or around the Temecula area, please don’t hesitate to call us. We have some great VIP programs for both buyers and sellers. We will represent you with honesty and integrity while saving you money.