Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−BreaSafer than 21% of U.S. towns C+CypressSafer than 35% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−BreaBetter than 81% of districts in the state BCypressBetter than 60% of districts in the state

Health

ABreaHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns ACypressHealthier than 86% of U.S. towns

11Brea

10Cypress

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #205#527 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #64#391 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #246#540 SafestSafety · 411 towns #280#167 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #235#53 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #606#479 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #332#215 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #230#351

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Brea’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Brea

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Brea$6,540/mo

Typical home $1.12M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $2,397/mo · Housing →

Cypress$6,200/mo

Typical home $1.07M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $2,483/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,100 a year, between Brea and Cypress.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

BreaCypress

Snow a year0″0″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th 89th

Outdoors & history

BreaCypress

Trails22 mi 4 mi

Conserved land10.1%2.1%

National Register places1 —

Archive photos1 2

Famous people born here20 12

Community

BreaCypress

Library hours a week42 hrs 28 hrs

Colleges in town—1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

12 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BreaCypress

Brea ↔ Cypress12 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

BreaCypress

People

Population 47,469Lowest 49,498Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.5%Highest CA: +6.1% +4.9%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 39.7±1.4Lowest 5% above CA 41.4±1.1Highest 9% above CA

Cypress and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.7%±1.9Highest CA: 22% 22.1%±1.8Lowest CA: 22%

Brea and Cypress are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.2%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7% 16.8%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7%

Brea and Cypress are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 52.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 50.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.6%±1Highest CA: 7.6%

Cypress and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $131,129±$12kHighest 32% above CA $130,215±$8kLowest 31% above CA

Brea and Cypress are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $922,300±$24kHighest 26% above CA $913,900±$19kLowest 24% above CA

Brea and Cypress are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,397±$82Lowest 18% above CA $2,483±$104Highest 22% above CA

Cypress and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $6,740Highest 32% above CA $6,066Lowest 18% above CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.3%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 55.5%±5.8Highest CA: 55.3%

Cypress and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.6% CA: 12% 6.6% CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 68.1%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1978Highest 2 yrs newer than CA 1971Lowest 5 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 9% above CA 29 minLowest about the CA average

Work from home 15.4%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 20.2%±2.4Highest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 8.7%Highest 5.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.99Highest 1.01Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Anaheim (8%)Los Angeles (10%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CypressFew work in Brea

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10.1%Highest 2.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 21.5 miHighest 3.5 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Lowest 19Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Lowest 147Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #80 of 574 in CA #84 of 574 in CA

School district Brea-Olinda UnifiedAnaheim Union High · Cypress Elementary

High school in town Brea Olinda HighCypress High

Students per teacherat that high school 21.3Lowest 26.9Highest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Brea neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brea’s Town Square.

Cypress neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 6d

Supporting Local Businesses

1 neighbor in Cypress can answer.

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Bordering Brea

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Yorba Linda67,170 people · $1.15M homes

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Fullerton140,968 people · $903K homes

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La Habra61,970 people · $782K homes

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Placentia52,826 people · $921K homes

Towns like Brea

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Aliso Viejo51,113 people · $918K homes

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Pleasant Hill34,235 people · $1.08M homes

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San Bruno42,307 people · $1.21M homes

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Claremont36,595 people · $897K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Brea vs Cypress

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Brea places higher on 11 of 22 CA lists

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Brea

What daily life feels like in each

12 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Supporting Local Businesses

Set another town beside Brea and Cypress

Bordering Brea

Towns like Brea

Post to Brea

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