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Costa Mesa vs Alhambra

32 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (9.5× in Costa Mesa) and jobs per worker (2.4× in Costa Mesa).

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Costa Mesa, CAHomes around $1.41MCalifornia · 110,330 people
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Alhambra, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 81,022 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.

Costa MesaHomes around $1.41M
Housing$1.41M typical home85% above the CA typical home College town3 collegesOrange Coast College Work80,735 jobsbased in Costa Mesa, a regional job hub All about Costa Mesa →
AlhambraOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 68%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#115 most walkable in CA2.0 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves College town3 collegesPlatt College-Los Angeles All about Alhambra →
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.

Trails9.5×
Costa Mesa has more miles of trail
Costa Mesa 19.0 miAlhambra 2.0 mi
Jobs per worker2.4×
Costa Mesa is more of a job hub
Costa Mesa 1.70Alhambra 0.72
Home values+30%
Homes cost more in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa $1,115,100Alhambra $857,800
Household income+27%
Households in Costa Mesa earn more
Costa Mesa $111,505Alhambra $88,024
Rent+26%
Rent runs higher in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa $2,446Alhambra $1,939
Average commute8 min
Costa Mesa has the shorter commute
Alhambra 30 minCosta Mesa 22 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,810 more a month in Costa Mesa

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.

Costa Mesa$8,120/mo
Typical home $1.41M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $2,446/mo · Housing →
Alhambra$5,310/mo
Typical home $916K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $1,939/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,810 a month, about $33,700 a year, between Costa Mesa and Alhambra.

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

Alhambra places higher on 10 of 20 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
–Costa MesaNot graded CAlhambraSafer than 26% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−Costa MesaBetter than 84% of districts in the state B+AlhambraBetter than 73% of districts in the state
Health
A−Costa MesaHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns B+AlhambraHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns
9Costa Mesa
10Alhambra

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#9 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #144#550 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #319#626 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #427#239 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #310#531 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #247#30 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #285#490 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #638#438

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Costa Mesa’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
Costa MesaAlhambra
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F—
July high83°F—
Growing season (days)365d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th88th
Outdoors & history
Costa MesaAlhambra
Trails19 mi2 mi
Conserved land9.4%3.9%
Settled17761903
National Register places—1
Archive photos216
Famous people born here2740
Community
Costa MesaAlhambra
Library hours a week60 hrs60 hrs
Colleges in town33
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.

Where they are

32 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Costa MesaCAAlhambraCA
Costa Mesa ↔ Alhambra32 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.

Costa MesaAlhambra
People
Population 110,330Highest 81,022Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Highest CA: +6.1% -0.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.7±0.8Lowest 3% below CA 41.5±1Highest 9% above CA
Kids under 18 18.5%±1.2Highest CA: 22% 17.1%±1.1Lowest CA: 22%
Costa Mesa and Alhambra are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.2%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 19%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 45%Highest CA: 37.1% 40.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.8 CA: 7.6% 7.5%±0.7 CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $111,505±$4kHighest 12% above CA $88,024±$4kLowest 11% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,115,100±$21kHighest 52% above CA $857,800±$15kLowest 17% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,446±$39Highest 20% above CA $1,939±$39Lowest 5% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,839Highest 33% above CA $5,717Lowest 12% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.1%±3.6Highest CA: 55.3% 52.5%±3.6Lowest CA: 55.3%
Costa Mesa and Alhambra are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.1%Lowest CA: 12% 12.6%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 39.6%Lowest CA: 55.9% 41.1%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 4 yrs older than CA 1960Lowest 16 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 22% below CA 30 minHighest 6% above CA
Work from home 22.2%±1.6Highest CA: 17.2% 14.4%±1.5Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 13.2%Highest 8.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 mi 8.8 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.70Highest 0.72Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (14%)Los Angeles (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AlhambraFew work in Costa Mesa
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.4%Highest 3.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 19.0 miHighest 2.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 30Highest 8Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 109Lowest 127Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #353 of 574 in CA—
School district Coastline ROP · Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp)Alhambra Unified
High school in town Costa Mesa HighMark Keppel High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Lowest 26.0Highest
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.

Costa Mesa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Costa Mesa’s Town Square.

Alhambra neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alhambra’s Town Square.

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Bordering Costa Mesa

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Newport Beach83,845 people · $2M homes
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Santa Ana312,534 people · $713K homes
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Irvine311,690 people · $1.19M homes
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Huntington Beach195,240 people · $1.1M homes

Towns like Costa Mesa

B
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Burbank104,546 people · $1.09M homes
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Santa Barbara87,779 people · $1.57M homes
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Tustin78,981 people · $950K homes
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Fullerton140,968 people · $903K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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