Riverside and San Bernadino were recently rated as two of the most affordable regions in the state of California, undoubtedly due to their price collapses in real estate. This report came from the California Association of Realtors and actually used household income and home values as a measure of affordability. Looking back on the history of home values in California, the Inland Empire appears to be making its way closer to a nominal lost decade, never mind already being at an inflation adjusted one.

Since May of 2010, prices in overpriced counties of Orange County and Los Angeles are both down $45,000. San Diego dropped by $15,000 and Ventura by $25,000. Prices in Riverside County and San Bernadino are shown to have fallen by $23,000 and $10,000, respectively. Looking back a near decade ago in January of 2001, San Bernadino is up only 7 percent and Riverside is up 13 percent, as compared to increases of nearly 30, 46, and 50 percent in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties.