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Brea vs Fullerton

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+14.2 pts in Brea) and household income (+26% in Brea).

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Brea, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 47,469 people
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Fullerton, CAA college townCalifornia · 140,968 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BreaKnown for its schools
Schools#80 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 88%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#205 most trails in CA22 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves All about Brea →
FullertonA college town
College town5 collegesCalifornia State University-Fullerton HistorySettled in 188723 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 73%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Fullerton →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+14.2 pts
Brea has grown faster since 2010
Brea +20.5%Fullerton +6.3%
Household income+26%
Households in Brea earn more
Brea $131,129Fullerton $104,286
Jobs per worker2.1×
Brea is more of a job hub
Brea 1.99Fullerton 0.97
Size3×
Fullerton is the bigger place
Fullerton 140,968Brea 47,469
Trails+82%
Fullerton has more miles of trail
Fullerton 39.1 miBrea 21.5 mi
Property tax bill+18%
Tax bills are bigger in Brea
Brea $6,740Fullerton $5,697
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $540 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.

Brea$6,540/mo
Typical home $1.12M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $2,397/mo · Housing →
Fullerton$6,000/mo
Typical home $1.04M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $2,194/mo · Housing →

The difference: $540 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Brea and Fullerton.

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.

Where they are

Brea and Fullerton share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

BreaFullertonBreaFullerton
Brea ↔ Fullerton4.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,929 Fullerton residents work in Brea (3.2% of its workers)
1,301 Brea residents work in Fullerton (6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Fullerton →
Report cards

Brea places higher on 13 of 22 CA lists

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−FullertonSafer than 21% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−BreaBetter than 81% of districts in the state A−FullertonBetter than 80% of districts in the state
Health
ABreaHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns B+FullertonHealthier than 73% of U.S. towns
13Brea
8Fullerton

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

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #148#364 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #64#330 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #230#12 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #241#448 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #255#456 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #166#326 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #180#337 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #80#164

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

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
BreaFullerton
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th89th
Outdoors & history
BreaFullerton
Trails22 mi39 mi
Conserved land10.1%8.1%
Settled—1887
National Register places123
Archive photos1—
Famous people born here20—
Community
BreaFullerton
Library hours a week42 hrs36 hrs
Colleges in town—5
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

BreaFullerton
People
Population 47,469Lowest 140,968Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.5%Highest CA: +6.1% +6.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 39.7±1.4Highest 5% above CA 36.9±0.8Lowest about the CA average
Kids under 18 22.7%±1.9Highest CA: 22% 22.1%±1.2Lowest CA: 22%
Brea and Fullerton 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% 15.2%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7%
Brea and Fullerton 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% 43.5%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 10.1%±0.7Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $131,129±$12kHighest 32% above CA $104,286±$3kLowest 5% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $922,300±$24kHighest 26% above CA $902,600±$13kLowest 23% above CA
Brea and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,397±$82Highest 18% above CA $2,194±$37Lowest 8% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,740Highest 32% above CA $5,697Lowest 11% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.3%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.4%±3.7Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 6.6%Lowest CA: 12% 12.3%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.7%Highest CA: 55.9% 51.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Highest 2 yrs newer than CA 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 9% above CA 31 minLowest 6% above CA
Work from home 15.4%±2.1Highest CA: 17.2% 14.9%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2%
Brea and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 8.7%Lowest 10.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.99Highest 0.97Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Anaheim (8%)Anaheim (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 6% work in Fullerton3% work in Brea
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.1%Highest 8.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 21.5 miLowest 39.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Lowest 45Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Lowest 114Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #80 of 574 in CA#164 of 574 in CA
School district Brea-Olinda UnifiedFullerton Elementary · Fullerton Joint Union High
High school in town Brea Olinda HighTroy High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.3Lowest 23.2Highest
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.

Fullerton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fullerton’s Town Square.

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Bordering Brea

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Yorba Linda67,170 people · $1.15M homes
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La Habra61,970 people · $782K homes
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Placentia52,826 people · $921K homes
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Rowland Heights45,911 people · $851K 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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Cypress49,498 people · $914K 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.

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