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%

Dana Point$10,250/mo

Typical home $1.76M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $3,106/mo · Housing →

Millbrae$11,620/mo

Typical home $2.05M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $3,272/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,370 a month, about $16,400 a year, between Millbrae and Dana Point.

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

Millbrae 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.

Safety

BDana PointSafer than 60% of U.S. towns –MillbraeNot graded

Schools

ADana PointBetter than 87% of districts in the state A−MillbraeBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

ADana PointHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns AMillbraeHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns

9Dana Point

11Millbrae

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

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #348#88 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #668#262 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #345#36 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#20 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #52#272 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #282#422 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #150#16 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #153#63

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Dana Point’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

Dana PointMillbrae

Snow a year0″0″

January low50°F 45°F

July high72°F 69°F

Growing season (days)365d 365d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th 91st

Outdoors & history

Dana PointMillbrae

Trails8 mi 4 mi

Conserved land8.7%3.8%

Settled1989 —

National Register places1 1

Archive photos4 —

Famous people born here10 —

Community

Dana PointMillbrae

Library hours a week60 hrs 57 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

389 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Dana PointCA MillbraeCA

Dana Point ↔ Millbrae389 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

Dana PointMillbrae

People

Population 32,790Highest 22,689Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.7%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.8%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 47.4±1.3Highest 25% above CA 43.7±1.8Lowest 15% above CA

Kids under 18 16.5%±2.3Lowest CA: 22% 19%±1.9Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 22.3%±1.9Highest CA: 15.7% 20.3%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 56.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 52.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7%±1.2Highest CA: 7.6% 6.4%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $141,520±$12kLowest 43% above CA $163,476±$11kHighest 65% above CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,320,300±$91kLowest 80% above CA $1,934,900±$91kHighest 163% above CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $3,106±$167Lowest 53% above CA $3,272±$163Highest 61% above CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $9,432Lowest 84% above CA $9,996Highest 95% above CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.6%±6.4Highest CA: 55.3% 49.5%±9Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 7.2%Highest CA: 12% 6%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.4%Highest CA: 55.9% 60.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA 1962Lowest 14 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 5% above CA 29 minLowest about the CA average

Work from home 31.7%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2% 22.2%±3.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 7.5%Highest 5.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Highest 0.49Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (11%)San Francisco (22%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MillbraeFew work in Dana Point

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 8.7%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 7.8 miHighest 4.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miLowest 1.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 18Highest 15Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 160Highest 136Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #153 of 574 in CA #63 of 574 in CA

School district Capistrano UnifiedMillbrae Elementary · San Mateo Union High

High school in town Dana Hills HighMills High

Students per teacherat that high school 21.6Highest 20.5Lowest

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.

Dana Point neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dana Point’s Town Square.

Millbrae neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Millbrae’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dana Point and Millbrae

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

Bordering Dana Point

+ Compare

Laguna Niguel64,139 people · $1.19M homes

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San Clemente63,273 people · $1.4M homes

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San Juan Capistrano35,095 people · $994K homes

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Laguna Beach22,710 people · $2M homes

Towns like Dana Point

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Pleasant Hill34,235 people · $1.08M homes

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Pacifica37,261 people · $1.25M homes

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Arcadia55,170 people · $1.44M homes

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Novato52,546 people · $1.03M 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.

Dana Point vs Millbrae

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,370 more a month in Millbrae

Millbrae places higher on 11 of 22 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

389 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Dana Point and Millbrae

Bordering Dana Point

Towns like Dana Point

Post to Dana Point

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