Inland Empire shifts from bargain to pressure cooker as coastal migration and rising costs squeeze residents

The useful part

Los Angeles Times Advertisement California The Inland Empire was once a bargain. Now, rising home prices, coastal invasion bring anxiety A train passes along a development on Oak Valley Parkway in Beaumont (Myung J. Set us as preferred Housing affordability has become a major concern across the Inland Empire, with more than 60% of residents in San Bernardino, Riverside and Kern counties calling it a big problem.

How it works

• Eric McGhee, the researcher who authored the report, said migration patterns account for growing stress in the Inland Empire.
• In 2024, the most recent year with available data, more than 41% of households were burdened in both San Bernardino and Riverside County.
• 26, 2026 Show Comments California Real Estate Housing & Homelessness The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
• Login or register with email Agree & Continue Jack Flemming Follow Us X Instagram Email Facebook Jack Flemming covers real estate for the Los Angeles Times.
• Chun / Los Angeles Times) By Jack Flemming Staff Writer Follow Sept.

What to take from it

In all three counties, more than 60% of people called housing affordability a big problem. It's not as simple as moving somewhere cheaper because they're already in a relatively cheap area. Brown / AFP / Getty Images) Huelskamp said many renters are hanging onto cheaper, rent-controlled apartments for years because if they move, they won't be able to afford the rates of the current market.

Example or evidence

• Inland Empire rents have climbed sharply while Los Angeles rents have remained relatively flat: A typical one-bedroom now costs $1,959, up 50% since 2022.
• Advertisement The think tank studies California's political geography every few years, gauging which issues residents care about the most.
• Now, San Bernardino, Riverside and Kern counties — once considered bastions of affordability — are all right there with them.
• During the pandemic, tens of thousands of people left L.A., Orange and San Diego County for San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Details worth keeping

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