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Around the Community
Inside La Cresta
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Photographs of La Cresta by The Hertz Group. Some images may have been adjusted, altered or AI generated.
The La Cresta Guide
Take La Cresta With You
Everything on this page in one free guide: what homes are selling for right now, HOA dues and Mello-Roos, schools, and the things we only know from selling here. It opens right away and we’ll email you a copy to keep.
Jordona’s Picks · A Local’s Guide
A Local’s Guide to Murrieta
Where to Eat in Murrieta
The list we actually give people. Some of these you would drive straight past without a local telling you; some are names you already know and are simply the right call. Either way, this is where a family who has worked Murrieta for years eats.
Nightlife in Murrieta
Where Murrieta actually goes out: the sports bars with the game on, the patios that stay busy after dark, and the room with a band in it. Not a long list, because it is not a long list.
Things to Do in Murrieta
Not the attractions list, just the places people here actually go on a weekend. If you are working out what there is to do in Murrieta beyond the obvious, start with these.
Murrieta Hot Springs Resort
Mineral springs resort
The reason the town is called what it is: mineral pools, restored and reopened.
Old Town Murrieta
Historic district
Washington Avenue, the clock, and the older half of the city.
Tenaja Falls
Waterfall and trail
Five tiers in the Cleveland National Forest. Go after the rain, not in August.
Golf in Murrieta
Murrieta has more good golf inside twenty minutes than anywhere else in the valley: the course a community is named for, and the one down in the De Luz canyon with a grill attached.
What’s Coming Up
Upcoming in Murrieta
From the City of Murrieta’s own calendar, so it stays current without anyone here retyping it. These are Murrieta-wide, and most are a short drive from La Cresta.
Check the Murrieta calendar ↗ before you set out.
Living in La Cresta and the Santa Rosa Plateau
La Cresta is the acreage community on the Santa Rosa Plateau above Murrieta, up Clinton Keith Road from the 15. Parcels run five acres across much of it, horse property and trail access are common, the hills are dotted with oaks, and the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve is right next door. It's the most distinct market we work in, and it doesn't behave like anything below it.
What Is It Like To Live In La Cresta?
Open, quiet and a little higher than everything else. Homes sit well apart on acreage, the hills roll, and a lot of properties have horse facilities and trail access. The store is a drive down the hill. That's the trade for the space, and people who buy here make it on purpose.
The reserve is the neighbor you'll use most. The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve covers about 7,500 acres of oak woodland, chaparral, native grassland and vernal pools, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife runs it. Its visitor center is at 39400 Clinton Keith Road, about four miles in from the 15, and there are hiking trails from there. Visitors 16 and older need a CDFW Lands Pass.
Which Schools Serve La Cresta?
La Cresta is in Murrieta Valley Unified, and the schools are down the hill. On the Clinton Keith Road side, Cole Canyon Elementary is on Via Alisol, Thompson Middle is on Hayes Avenue, and Murrieta Valley High is on Nighthawk Way.
How far that is depends a lot on where your parcel sits on the plateau, and the district assigns schools by address. Send me the parcel and I'll confirm which schools it's assigned, and what the drive looks like, before you plan around them.
What Is Close By?
Coming down Clinton Keith Road you pass Bear Creek, the gated golf community, and its turn is about a mile and a half from the 15. Copper Canyon and its city park are just below that, and from the freeway Murrieta and Temecula are both an easy drive.
In town, Old Town Murrieta and Murrieta Hot Springs Resort are the outings, with Nonno's Ristorante and Talia Kitchen for dinner. The Golf Club at Rancho California is the public course. Tenaja Falls, five tiers in the Cleveland National Forest, is the hike to save for after the rain, not August.
Where Is La Cresta?
La Cresta is unincorporated Riverside County on the plateau west of Murrieta. Minimum lot sizes are large, the hills roll with oaks scattered across them, and the density you find in the valley below is kept out on purpose.
The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve borders the community, and it's a big part of what living here is like. It's protected open space with trails, which is a large part of why the plateau still looks the way it does.
What Is La Cresta Property Like?
You buy acreage up here, and horse facilities are common. Trail access is a real amenity, and buyers pay for it.
That changes what matters when you buy. Water, well capacity, septic, the condition of the access road, grading, fire clearance, and how much of the acreage is usable versus raw all count for more than square footage.
Why Is Buying On The Plateau Different?
La Cresta is a thin market. Fewer properties sell here in a year than in a single Menifee tract, so comparable sales are harder to pin down, and appraisals get argued over more often.
It also means the right property doesn't come up often. If you're serious about the plateau, you'll do better staying in touch with me and moving fast when it lists than waiting for a big selection that won't show up.
How Does La Cresta Compare With Other Acreage Areas?
La Cresta is one of five acreage markets on this site, and knowing the other four saves you a lot of driving. Temecula's Wine Country is two acres and up east of Butterfield Stage Road, with 96 sales in the last twelve months, 73 of them above $1 million, and working vineyards next door. De Luz is the grove canyon west of Temecula, where 40 sold in the same twelve months, 38 of them above $1 million. Parcels there run big. In the year to August 2026, three quarters of De Luz sales sat on five acres or more.
Inside Temecula itself, Meadowview is an equestrian community of 899 homes on 380 acres of common land. Los Ranchitos is two-and-a-half-acre parcels a mile from Old Town, with a $1,825,000 median and eight sales over the last twelve months.
What sets La Cresta apart from all of them is the plateau itself. There's no canyon and no belt of vineyards, just open, high ground, and Clinton Keith Road is the main way up. Test that before anything else. Drive Clinton Keith Road to the top at the hour you'd really commute, because everything else about living here follows from it.
The La Cresta Report
What Is Happening Here, In Detail
Every home for sale in La Cresta right now, what they are asking, how long they are taking to sell, and what has actually closed, put together for this community rather than for the city around it.
- 45
- Homes for sale
- $2M
- Median asking price
- 60
- Days to sell, typically
Own a home here?
What’s your home worth in La Cresta?
Start with your address and get an instant estimate from what has sold around you. Then we walk through your home’s features with you and give you an accurate number.
At a Glance
La Cresta by the Numbers
- Median asking price
- $2MHereMurrieta $699K
From 45 active listings
- Median per sq ft
- $474HereMurrieta $319
- Days on market
- 60 daysHereMurrieta 28 days
Median, homes currently listed
- Sale to asking
- 98.2%HereMurrieta 100.0%
Homes are closing below asking · 15 sales in 90 days
Market figures from the CRMLS feed, read . Compared against all of Murrieta.
The Detail
The numbers people actually ask about La Cresta, in one place rather than four screens apart. Pick whichever you came for.
The Market
Here Is the Latest for La Cresta
La Cresta has 45 homes on the market today, asking a median of $1,990,000. Over the last 90 days 15 sold, at a median of $2,125,000, typically 60 days after listing. Homes are closing at 98.2% of asking price, so there is usually room to negotiate.
- $1,990,000
- Median asking price
- $474
- Per square foot
- 60
- Days on market
- $2,125,000
- Median sale price
(a median is not an appraisal, and yours will differ)
Source: California Regional MLS, active and closed residential listings in La Cresta. Updated daily.
The Monthly Number
What a Home in La Cresta Costs
Set to the median asking price in La Cresta today. Move the sliders to your own deposit, rate and term, and the figure updates as you go.
Estimate Your Payment
Mortgage Calculator
Estimate your monthly payment, including principal and interest, property taxes, insurance and HOA. Adjust the values for a more accurate figure.
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$12,037
Your payment
- Principal & interest
- $10,063(84%)
- Property taxes
- $1,824(15%)
- Insurance
- $150(1%)
An estimate for planning only, not a loan offer, quote or financial advice. Your actual payment depends on your lender, credit and final terms.
An estimate, not a quote. The rate and tax rate are defaults you can change, and homes in newer parts of the valley often carry a Mello-Roos special tax on top. Put it in the HOA field if you know it, and ask us if you do not.
Homeowners Association
La Cresta HOA
Too few homes are currently on the market in La Cresta reporting association dues to publish a reliable range. Ask us and we will pull the current figure for a specific address.
What should I check about the HOA before buying in La Cresta?
Several different property owners' associations operate on the plateau, and each has its own rules on building, animals and access. Which one governs a parcel, and what it allows, is one of the first things I find out. Ask for the association's governing documents, the current dues, any pending special assessment, and the reserve study. In California the seller is required to provide these under Civil Code §4525, and the time to read them is your investigation period rather than after it.
Education
Schools in La Cresta
24 public schools, from Murrieta Valley Unified and neighboring districts. Standing is against the California average on the state’s own tests.
13
Elementary schools
13 of 13 at or above the California average
5
Middle schools
5 of 5 at or above the California average
11
High schools
9 of 9 at or above the California average
See all 24 schoolsHide the list
Elementary13
- Cole Canyon ElementaryK-5 · 2.2 mi · driveAbove
- Murrieta ElementaryK-5 · 3.9 mi · driveAbove
- E. Hale Curran ElementaryK-5 · 3.9 mi · driveAround
- Tovashal ElementaryK-5 · 5.0 mi · driveAbove
- Avaxat ElementaryK-5 · 5.6 mi · driveAround
- Antelope Hills ElementaryK-5 · 6.2 mi · driveAbove
- Rail Ranch ElementaryK-5 · 6.2 mi · driveAround
- Alta Murrieta ElementaryK-5 · 6.4 mi · driveAbove
- Daniel N. Buchanan ElementaryK-5 · 7.2 mi · driveAbove
- Monte Vista ElementaryK-5 · 7.8 mi · driveAbove
- Oak Meadows ElementaryK-5 · 8.3 mi · driveAround
- Lisa J. Mails ElementaryK-5 · 9.2 mi · driveAbove
- Alamos ElementaryK-5 · 9.8 mi · driveAbove
Middle5
- Thompson Middle6-8 · 2.7 mi · driveAbove
- Shivela Middle6-8 · 4.8 mi · driveAround
- Warm Springs Middle6-8 · 7.5 mi · driveAbove
- Dorothy McElhinney Middle6-8 · 9.1 mi · driveAbove
- Bella Vista Middle6-8 · 10.0 mi · driveAbove
High11
- Thompson Middle6-8 · 2.7 mi · driveAbove
- Murrieta Valley Adult Education12 · 2.7 mi · drive
- Murrieta Options Academy12 · 2.8 mi · drive
- Murrieta Canyon AcademyK-12 · 2.8 mi · driveAround
- Murrieta Valley High9-12 · 3.0 mi · driveAbove
- Murrieta Mesa High9-12 · 4.5 mi · driveAbove
- Shivela Middle6-8 · 4.8 mi · driveAround
- Vista Murrieta High9-12 · 6.6 mi · driveAbove
- Warm Springs Middle6-8 · 7.5 mi · driveAbove
- Dorothy McElhinney Middle6-8 · 9.1 mi · driveAbove
- Bella Vista Middle6-8 · 10.0 mi · driveAbove
Confirm the boundary. Attendance areas are set by the district, do not follow community lines, and are redrawn as schools open, so check the assigned schools for the specific address rather than the neighborhood. Ask Murrieta Valley Unified or Temecula Valley Unified.
Source: California Department of Education & CAASPP 2024. Standing compares each school’s share of pupils meeting the state standard in English and mathematics to the 2024 California averages (47% and 36%). Results are withheld for small cohorts to protect pupil privacy. Distances are straight-line from the center of La Cresta to the school’s published location, a guide to how close it is, not a walking route.
Overview
Who Lives in La Cresta
111,621 people live in La Cresta, with a median age of 36. 69% of homes are lived in by their owner, and the median household earns $109,780. The average commute is 37 minutes each way.
These figures are for the city of Murrieta. La Cresta and the Santa Rosa Plateau are unincorporated, and the Census doesn't count them on their own.
- 111,621
- Population
- 36
- Median age
- $109,780
- Median household income
- 69%
- Owner-occupied
- 32%
- Bachelor's or higher
- 37 min
- Average commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Still Wondering
The questions people ask about La Cresta, and what we have written about it.
Common Questions
About La Cresta
Who is the top realtor in La Cresta?
Jordona Hertz and The Hertz Group are a top realtor team in La Cresta in Murrieta. Jordona was ranked #9 among all Riverside County agents by Real Producers in 2026, which puts her in the top 1% of the county, and the team has closed 550+ transactions and over $350 million in sales across the Temecula Valley, La Cresta included. She is also Menifee's #1 agent by closed sales volume (CRMLS data, 2024 to 2026). Call (714) 865-6569.
Top Realtor in Murrieta: the record and homes we soldWhat schools serve La Cresta?
La Cresta is in Murrieta Valley Unified. The schools are down the hill; on the Clinton Keith Road side that means Cole Canyon Elementary on Via Alisol, Thompson Middle on Hayes Avenue and Murrieta Valley High on Nighthawk Way. The district assigns schools by address, so confirm them for the specific parcel.
How far is La Cresta from the 15?
It depends on the parcel, because the plateau is big. For a reference point, the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve visitor center at 39400 Clinton Keith Road is about four miles from the 15, and the Bear Creek turn on the way up is about a mile and a half.
Is there hiking near La Cresta?
Yes. The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve borders La Cresta, with about 7,500 acres of oak woodland, grassland and vernal pools and trails from the visitor center on Clinton Keith Road. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife runs it, and visitors 16 and older need a CDFW Lands Pass.
How does La Cresta compare with Temecula's wine country?
They're the valley's two best-known acreage markets, and you can't swap one for the other. La Cresta sits on the Santa Rosa Plateau above Murrieta, with five-acre minimums across much of it. Temecula's Wine Country is two acres and up east of Butterfield Stage Road, with working vineyards and the tasting room traffic that comes with them. La Cresta is quieter and more purely residential. De Luz, west of Temecula, is a third option, and it's grove country.
Is La Cresta part of Murrieta?
It's usually described that way and has a Murrieta mailing address, which is why its guide sits under Murrieta here with Bear Creek and Copper Canyon. It's outside the city limits, though, in unincorporated Riverside County on the Santa Rosa Plateau. In practice that changes which services are county instead of city, so confirm it for the specific parcel.
Where is La Cresta?
La Cresta is an unincorporated area on the Santa Rosa Plateau, in the hills west of Murrieta in Riverside County, reached up Clinton Keith Road from the 15. It borders the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.
Can you keep horses in La Cresta?
Horse property is a big part of La Cresta, and many parcels have facilities and trail access. What's allowed depends on the parcel size and the governing association, so confirm it for the specific property before you plan around it.
What should I check when buying acreage on the plateau?
Water supply and well capacity, septic condition, usable versus raw acreage, who maintains the access road, grading and drainage, fire clearance requirements and the governing association's rules. On acreage these matter more than square footage does, and several of them affect insurance and financing.
Thinking about La Cresta? Call (714) 865-6569 or .
From the Journal
Reading on La Cresta
Area Life
La Cresta's Riding Season Now Runs on Two Different Clocks
Ask a longtime plateau resident when "riding season" starts and you'll get two different answers depending on which side of the community they run in. One says October, when the heat finally breaks and the reserve trails stop cooking at noon. The other says it never really stopped, because the newest arena on the plateau runs clinics on a calendar that doesn't care what month it is.
Read More
Area Life
What Estate Living In La Cresta Really Looks Like
If you are picturing La Cresta as just a bigger house with a nicer view, the reality is a little different. Estate living here is less about square footage alone and more about land, privacy, daily upkeep, and a semi-rural lifestyle that works on its own terms. If you are thinking about buying or selling in La Cresta, it helps to understand what ownership really looks like before you make a move. Let’s dive in.
Read More
Selling
How To Position Your La Cresta Estate For A Strong Sale
Selling a La Cresta estate is not the same as selling a typical Murrieta home. Buyers here are looking at the full package, including the house, the land, access, exterior improvements, and how usable the property feels from the moment they arrive. If you want a strong sale, you need more than a sign in the yard. You need a plan that fits this unique micro-market. Let’s dive in.
Read More
Top Realtor in La Cresta
550+closings across the Temecula Valley
Jordona sells across the Temecula Valley and La Cresta is part of it, so you get somebody who has already negotiated hundreds of these deals, not somebody learning the area on your transaction.
- 233
- Of those, listed under her own license
- 32,812
- Total sales on record here
Career closings, leases included, from the brokerage’s closing log. 233 of those are listed under Jordona Hertz, CA DRE #01938232, in CRMLS and refresh daily; the rest were closed on the buyer’s side or earlier under a team lead’s license, which CRMLS records against that agent.
Based on information from California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. This information is for your personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties you may be interested in purchasing. Displayed by The Hertz Group, DRE# 02150303. Display of MLS data is usually deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. Buyers are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information and should investigate the data themselves or retain appropriate professionals. Information from sources other than the listing agent may have been included in the MLS data. Unless otherwise specified in writing, the broker/agent has not and will not verify any information obtained from other sources. The broker/agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the listing and/or selling agent. Property locations as displayed on any map are best approximations only and exact locations should be independently verified.
© 2026 California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS). All rights reserved. CRMLS supplies the MLS content only; everything else on this page is ours.
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