Calimesa
Mesa-top bluff city on the Riverside/San Bernardino county line, between Yucaipa and Beaumont along the I-10 corridor
Why People Move Here
Calimesa is a small incorporated city (~10,900 residents) perched on flat-top mesas above the I-10 corridor at the Riverside/San Bernardino county line, between Yucaipa to the north and Beaumont to the east. The name was chosen by resident vote in 1929 — a combination of 'Cali' (California) and 'Mesa' (Spanish for table-land) — and the city incorporated in December 1990. Redfin reports a December 2025 median sale price of $580,000 (+5.5% YoY, $272/sqft), substantially below California's statewide average. Schools fall under Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District (Niche B, ranked #6 in San Bernardino County). The Calimesa Country Club (a 1959 Robert Trent Jones Sr. public 18-hole course) sits in the heart of the city, and four approved master-planned subdivisions (JP Ranch, Summerwind Trails at Oak Valley, Mesa Verde Estates, Heritage Oaks) are at various stages of build-out and will more than double the city's housing stock over time. Trade-offs: no in-city Metrolink or Arrow rail (nearest is Redlands Arrow terminus ~10-15 min west), a car-dependent walkability profile outside the Calimesa Boulevard corridor, and elevated regional wildfire exposure — the 2020 Apple Fire burned 33,424 acres in adjacent Cherry Valley and the 2018 Holy Fire shaped a California insurance market that has tightened availability across the Inland Empire.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District (YCJUSD)
B- District Niche overall grade B (3.91/5 based on 54 reviews); ranked #6 best school district in San Bernardino County (district is SB County-based though Calimesa is in Riverside County)
- Academics: B grade; 8,529 students K-12 across Yucaipa and Calimesa; 22:1 student-teacher ratio
- Calimesa Elementary — K-6 in-city school; Niche C; GreatSchools 3/10
- Mesa View Middle School (Yucaipa) — serves Calimesa middle grades
- Yucaipa High School — serves Calimesa 9-12
FAQ — Calimesa
What is the commute from Calimesa to downtown Riverside?
Driving from Calimesa to downtown Riverside takes about 26 minutes off-peak (~25 mi via I-10 west then SR-60) and 40-55 minutes at rush hour. Closer daily-commute destinations are Redlands (~8-11 mi, ~9 min), Beaumont (~5 mi, ~7 min), Loma Linda University Medical Center (~15-20 min west), and downtown San Bernardino (~19 mi, ~21 min). Calimesa has no in-city Metrolink or Arrow rail service — the nearest rail is the Arrow line terminus in Redlands (~10-15 min drive west), which connects to San Bernardino-Downtown Metrolink station. Pass Transit Commuter Link 120 and 125 provide express bus service between Beaumont, Calimesa, Redlands (Citrus Plaza and Kaiser), Loma Linda VA, and San Bernardino Transit Center.
What schools serve Calimesa, CA?
Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District (YCJUSD) serves Calimesa K-12. Niche rates the district B overall (3.91/5 based on 54 reviews) and ranks it #6 best school district in San Bernardino County (note: the district is headquartered in San Bernardino County, while Calimesa itself is in Riverside County — boundaries cross the county line). The district has 8,529 K-12 students with a 22:1 student-teacher ratio. Calimesa Elementary is the in-city K-6 school (Niche C; GreatSchools 3/10). Middle grades attend Mesa View Middle School in Yucaipa, and high school students attend Yucaipa High School. Verify enrollment eligibility by street address — district boundaries at the county line can be complex.
What is the housing market like in Calimesa?
Redfin reports a December 2025 median sale price of $580,000 (+5.5% YoY) with a median price per square foot of $272 (+5.0% YoY). Zillow's typical home value tracks in the $580K-$590K range. Calimesa sits meaningfully below California's statewide Zillow average (~$787,508). Four approved master-planned subdivisions are at various stages of build-out: JP Ranch (~796 homes, adjacent to Calimesa Country Club), Summerwind Trails at Oak Valley (up to 3,600 units; Phase 1 is 633 homes), Mesa Verde Estates (~3,400-3,500 homes plus 64 acres of mixed-use), and Heritage Oaks. New-subdivision parcels commonly carry Mello-Roos CFD assessments that can push total effective property tax rates to 1.5%+ — pull the individual parcel tax bill before making a decision. Verify current listings on Redfin and Zillow.
What is the Calimesa Country Club?
Calimesa Country Club is a public 18-hole golf course at 1300 3rd Street, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1959. The course plays approximately 5,970 yards from the back tees with a slope of 114, and sits in the heart of the city with homes (including larger JP Ranch homes) backing up to the fourth hole. The clubhouse operates a restaurant on site, and the course is a central civic amenity — one of Calimesa's defining features as a small incorporated city. Tee times are available via GolfNow and direct booking.
What parks and outdoor recreation are near Calimesa?
Calimesa Country Club (public 18-hole, 1959) is the primary in-city recreation anchor, along with Singleton Park and the Flood Control Basin open space. Wildwood Canyon State Park (~5-10 min north in Yucaipa) preserves 855 acres of San Bernardino foothill habitat — mule deer, bobcat, black bear, and mountain lion country — with a network of multi-difficulty hiking trails. Crafton Hills Park offers hiking and mountain biking ~10 min west toward Redlands. Oak Glen apple country (~15 min north at ~4,700 ft elevation) has U-pick orchards, cider mills, and a scenic mountain drive. JP Ranch, the master-planned community building out adjacent to the Country Club, includes a 15-acre community park and a 100-acre wildlife corridor.
What are the crime statistics in Calimesa, CA?
Per the FBI Uniform Crime Report 2024 data (released September 2025), Calimesa's total crime rate is 1,851.7 per 100,000 — 12.6% lower than the national rate (2,119.2) and 27.8% lower than the California state rate (2,564.5). Violent crime is 223 per 100,000 (26 incidents; 39.7% below national average) with a murder rate of 0. Property crime is 2,580 per 100,000 (301 incidents; 32% above U.S. average). Year-over-year total crime fell 15% vs. 2023. Calimesa ranks in the 56th percentile for safety nationally. Police services are contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Verify current statistics with the Sheriff's Department and FBI UCR.
What healthcare and accessibility options are near Calimesa?
Beaumont Healthcare Center is approximately 5 minutes east — a joint venture of Loma Linda University Medical Center, Redlands Community Hospital, and Beaver Medical Group offering outpatient surgery, urgent care, and a medical office building. Kaiser Permanente Redlands Medical Offices at 1301 California Street is ~10 min west. Redlands Community Hospital (~10-15 min west) provides acute care. Loma Linda University Medical Center (~15-20 min west via I-10) is a world-renowned academic hospital with a Level 1 Trauma Center, Children's Hospital, and the nation's first proton treatment facility. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (the San Bernardino County hospital in Colton) is ~25 min. The VA Loma Linda Healthcare System operates a Redlands Clinic at 26001 Redlands Blvd. Calimesa operates a Senior Center with city-run programs, and Plantation on the Lake is reported as a HOPA 55+ age-restricted community (verify current HOPA status directly with property management).
What is the wildfire risk in Calimesa, CA?
Wildfire is a meaningful regional consideration. The Apple Fire (July-August 2020) burned 33,424 acres in Cherry Valley and the San Gorgonio Wilderness immediately adjacent to Calimesa, forced up to 7,800 people under mandatory evacuation at its peak, and destroyed 13 structures; Calimesa Fire Department personnel were deployed under mutual aid. The 2018 Holy Fire and subsequent Riverside County wildfires have tightened California's homeowner insurance market, with some parcels requiring coverage through the California FAIR Plan as a last-resort carrier. CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps classify portions of Calimesa's hillside periphery as Moderate to High — check the specific parcel designation at osfm.fire.ca.gov before purchase, and budget for defensible space compliance and potential insurance surcharges.
What is the sales tax and property tax rate in Calimesa?
The minimum combined 2026 sales tax rate for Calimesa is 7.75% (6% California state + 0.25% Riverside County + 1.5% district). Property tax starts from California's Proposition 13 base of 1% — Riverside County's effective median is ~0.75%. However, new-subdivision parcels in JP Ranch, Summerwind Trails at Oak Valley, and Mesa Verde Estates commonly carry Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) assessments on top, which can push total effective property tax rates to 1.5% or higher depending on the development and property type. There is no single statewide Mello-Roos rate — every CFD sets its own formula. Pull the individual parcel tax bill from the Riverside County Assessor before committing. California's progressive state income tax applies and covers retirement-income distributions.
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