Corona is a city located in Riverside County California. With a 2020 population of 158,088, it is the 36th largest city in California and the 176th largest city in the United States. Corona is currently growing at a rate of 0.30% annually but its population has decreased by -5.96% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 168,112 in 2020. Spanning over 40 miles, Corona has a population density of 3,954 people per square mile.
The average household income in Corona is $104,281 with a poverty rate of 9.50%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,705 per month, and the median house value is $491,000. The median age in Corona is 35 years, 33.7 years for males, and 36.1 years for females.
Corona is located in Riverside County, California about 48 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 95 miles northwest of San Diego. Corona is part of the Inland Empire, a large metropolitan area and region with a population of 4.6 million. Corona is the 3rd largest city in Riverside County after Riverside and Moreno Valley.
Diversity and Population
Corona is one of several Hispanic-majority cities in Southern California. It has a foreign-born population of about 26%. The city has a population density of 4,225 people per square mile (1,631/square kilometer).
Population Growth
Riverside County leads California in terms of population growth, adding 37,000 people between 2016 and 2017. This was also the third largest population growth of any county in the U.S. Of course, this growth isn't very remarkable when you consider the substantial size of Riverside County and other major counties in Southern California as the growth rate worked out to just 1.5%. Most of the population growth is attributed to more people moving to Riverside County communities like Corona and this trend is expected to continue over the next decade.
Corona was founded during Southern California's citrus boom in 1886 as South Riverside. At the time, the town was called the Lemon Capital of the World and it was established by the South Riverside Land and Water Company which was originally a citrus growers' organization. At the time, South Riverside was located in San Bernardino County.
In 1893, South Riverside became part of Riverside County and it was renamed Corona just three years later due to its distinctive circular Grand Boulevard enclosed by the typical grid roads. For decades, Corona was popular among Hollywood celebrities thanks to its comparative privacy and upscale homes.
Corona has since become known as the Gateway to the Inland Empire. It largely abandoned its agricultural economy in the 1980s as rising prices in Orange and Los Angeles counties made the city more attractive. Within 10 years, Corona was a large suburb of Los Angeles.
