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Brea vs San Bruno

362 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4.4× in Brea) and jobs per worker (3.2× in Brea).

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Brea, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 47,469 people
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San Bruno, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 42,307 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $770 more a month in San Bruno

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 →
San Bruno$7,310/mo
Typical home $1.29M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.51% · or rent about $2,773/mo · Housing →

The difference: $770 a month, about $9,200 a year, between San Bruno and Brea.

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.

Report cards

San Bruno places higher on 11 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.

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
BreaSan Bruno
Snow a year0″0″
January low—45°F
July high—69°F
Growing season (days)—365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th90th
Outdoors & history
BreaSan Bruno
Trails22 mi5 mi
Conserved land10.1%7.8%
National Register places1—
Archive photos19
Famous people born here20—
Community
BreaSan Bruno
Library hours a week42 hrs52 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

362 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Brea ↔ San Bruno362 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.

BreaSan Bruno
People
Population 47,469Highest 42,307Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.5%Highest CA: +6.1% +6.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 39.7±1.4Lowest 5% above CA 39.8±1.1Highest 5% above CA
San Bruno 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% 16.9%±1.7Lowest CA: 22%
Age 65+ 17.2%±1.4Lowest CA: 15.7% 18%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7%
San Bruno and Brea 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% 45.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6% 6.7%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6%
Brea and San Bruno are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $131,129±$12kLowest 32% above CA $141,272±$9kHighest 43% above CA
San Bruno and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $922,300±$24kLowest 26% above CA $1,207,500±$42kHighest 64% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,397±$82Lowest 18% above CA $2,773±$119Highest 36% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,740Highest 32% above CA $6,212Lowest 21% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.3%±5.2Highest CA: 55.3% 52.5%±6.9Lowest CA: 55.3%
Brea and San Bruno are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.6%Highest CA: 12% 6%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 62.1%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Highest 2 yrs newer than CA 1962Lowest 14 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 9% above CA 24 minLowest 17% below CA
Work from home 15.4%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 18%±2.6Highest CA: 17.2%
San Bruno and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 8.7%Highest 5.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.99Highest 0.63Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Anaheim (8%)San Francisco (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in San BrunoFew work in Brea
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.1%Highest 7.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 21.5 miHighest 4.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Highest 14Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 101Lowest 133Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #80 of 574 in CA#176 of 574 in CA
School district Brea-Olinda UnifiedSan Bruno Park Elementary · San Mateo Union High
High school in town Brea Olinda HighCapuchino High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.3Highest 18.6Lowest
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.

San Bruno neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Discovering Hidden Gems

1 neighbor in San Bruno can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Brea and San Bruno

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Brea

Towns like Brea

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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