The 5 Worst Things About Living in Temecula, California
This channel often talks about all the great things about Temecula. For this blog post and video, we decided to talk about the five worst things about living in Temecula, California. Every place on earth has its negatives, and it is important for you to understand these before making the move or relocating.
It doesn’t matter where you live in Southern California, you will not escape the traffic, and Temecula is no different. The major traffic is going to be along the 15 freeway. In the morning it will go south, and in the evening it’s going to go north. Sometimes the traffic gets so bad on the 15 Freeway going north at night that it backs up to Fallbrook. You need to plan your move so you don’t get yourself in a situation where you’re spending hours in your car every day. If you work in San Diego or the surrounding area, live in South Temecula. If you work in the north, you might live in North Temecula, like the Lake Harveston Community. Harveston is a beautiful neighborhood with a nice lake and plenty of amenities. Here are a couple of blog posts and videos that talk about life in Lake Harveston.
Cost of living
The cost of living is always an important topic when talking about moving or relocating to Southern California. This is one of the worst things about living in Temecula, especially when you compare it to many other cities across the United States. Temecula, on the other hand, is one of the least expensive communities in all of Southern California and offers residents so much in terms of great schools, safety, amenities, and so on.
Home prices have gone up substantially over the past year, but Temecula is still affordable when you compare it to other cities throughout Southern California. For a 2000-square-foot home, expect to pay anywhere from $550,000 to $650,000. Tax rates are going to range from 1.3% to 2%. Tax rates depend on the age of the home. Generally speaking, anything built before the year 2000 is going to have a lower tax rate. Anything built after 2005 is going to be between 1.5 and 1.8%. I am pretty sure that most people know this already, but gas prices are one of the worst things about living in Temecula. Expect to pay at least $1 more per gallon than almost any other state in the country. If you drive a big truck, be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars every month just on your gas bill.
I have a blog post and video that break down all the costs for a month in Temecula here. Bottom line, if you want a good life in Temecula, expect to spend anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 a month, depending on your house payment. This will allow you to do pretty much anything you want and have a great deal of fun.
On a side note, happy hours for restaurants in Southern California are very popular, usually from 3-6 pm. If you’re looking to go to restaurants, this is a great time to go and not break the bank. For two people, expect to spend anywhere from $30 to $60 during happy hour for some appetizers and a few drinks.
Heat in the Summer
If you hate the heat, you will not like Temecula for three months of the year. From late June to the end of September, expect temperatures in the 90s and multiple days of 100° or higher. One of the benefits of many of the neighborhoods in Temecula is that they have their own public pool. Even if you do not have a private pool at home, you will be able to use these facilities as part of your HOA. Most communities in Temecula have an average housing cost of around $100 per month.
The other negative about the heat in Temecula is that your air conditioning bill for the first three months of the year is going to be very high. If you do not have solar, a 2000-square-foot home will have electricity bills of $400 to $500 a month if you use the air a lot. For us, we cannot sleep in a hot house, so we do keep the temperature down to around 70 degrees in the summer. We also have solar, which helps keep our bill down for those three to four months a year.
Housing Demand
Not only are the houses in Temecula expensive, but the demand is always high. This makes it difficult to not only purchase homes but also rent them. The housing demand is pretty crazy right now, and to put it into perspective, I have personally heard of rentals getting over 70 applicants, so be prepared and get your ducks in a row. If you decide to move to Temecula, you are going to have to be aggressive and have a very good real estate agent to be successful in this market. If you come into this market blind, you will become discouraged and frustrated and give up eventually.
Employment
The last thing I wanted to talk about was employment, and from what I have heard, it’s one of the worst things about living in Temecula, California. I have heard many comments about people needing to travel or commute to San Diego for employment. Or, if you’re not a teacher or firefighter, jobs are scarce in Temecula.
We do have wineries, and there are plenty of restaurants, so I would guess that the service industry has a lot of options or opportunities if you’re willing to do that type of work. I have no idea what it pays or if you can live on a wage as a server in Temecula. I would guess some of the better-paying service jobs would be at the wineries, Pechanga Casino, or Old Town Temecula.
So there you have it, five of the worst things about living in Temecula, California. Yes, we love it here, but it’s not for everybody. These five things are major drawbacks when living not only in Temecula but throughout Southern California. I feel Temecula is one of the best cities in all of Southern California to live in, so my advice would be to take the leap. If you would like a more in-depth conversation above the city, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Christie is a licensed real estate appraiser, and I own Greenleaf Real Estate and Appraisal, which is a real estate brokerage. We have sold and appraised thousands of homes in the area over the past 20 years and would love to help and guide you in any way possible.
Thank you for reading our blog. If you have any interest in moving to Temecula or the surrounding area, please read the Google reviews here for Greenleaf Real Estate & Appraisal.
We are licensed as both real estate brokers and certified residential appraisers. We love what we do and will bring a great deal of passion, experience, and expertise to the table for you.
