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Orange vs Tustin

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (2.8× in Orange).

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Orange, CAA history townCalifornia · 138,266 people
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Tustin, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 78,981 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.

OrangeA history town
HistorySettled in 186917 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 75%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#149 most trails in CA55 miles of trails across 28 parks and preserves All about Orange →
TustinAn outdoors town
Outdoors#94 most walkable in CA20 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 83%of CA districts HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Tustin →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails2.8×
Orange has more miles of trail
Orange 54.8 miTustin 19.8 mi
★ What stands out · Report cards

Orange 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
C+OrangeSafer than 43% of U.S. towns CTustinSafer than 30% of U.S. towns
Schools
BOrangeBetter than 62% of districts in the state A−TustinBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
A−OrangeHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns A−TustinHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns
11Orange
10Tustin

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

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #154#350 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #6#257 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #517#331 SafestSafety · 411 towns #120#205 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #268#408 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #297#157 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #344#283 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #208#94

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

Where they are

Orange and Tustin share a border

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

OrangeTustinOrangeTustin
Orange ↔ Tustin4.8 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,751 Orange residents work in Tustin (2.9% of its workers)
1,682 Tustin residents work in Orange (4.5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Orange →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Tustin

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.

Orange$6,520/mo
Typical home $1.13M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $2,327/mo · Housing →
Tustin$6,750/mo
Typical home $1.16M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $2,449/mo · Housing →

The difference: $230 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Tustin and Orange.

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
OrangeTustin
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F49°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th88th
Outdoors & history
OrangeTustin
Trails55 mi20 mi
Conserved land9.2%4%
Settled1869—
National Register places174
Archive photos1319
Famous people born here5117
Community
OrangeTustin
Library hours a week51 hrs60 hrs
Colleges in town2—
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.

OrangeTustin
People
Population 138,266Highest 78,981Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.6%Lowest CA: +6.1% +6.3%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 37.2±0.8Lowest about the CA average 37.5±1.3Highest about the CA average
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.4%±1.1Lowest CA: 22% 22.5%±1.6Highest CA: 22%
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.3%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7% 13.1%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 39.7%Lowest CA: 37.1% 47.4%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9.9%±0.8Highest CA: 7.6% 8.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6%
Orange and Tustin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $117,113±$4kHighest 18% above CA $112,503±$6kLowest 13% above CA
Orange and Tustin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $945,800±$15kLowest 29% above CA $950,400±$31kHighest 29% above CA
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,327±$50Lowest 14% above CA $2,449±$57Highest 20% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,215Lowest 21% above CA $6,725Highest 31% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.5%±3.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 61.6%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3%
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.5%Lowest CA: 12% 9.9%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.7%Highest CA: 55.9% 48.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than CA 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 10% below CA 23 minLowest 21% below CA
Work from home 17.7%±1.5Lowest CA: 17.2% 19.2%±1.9Highest CA: 17.2%
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 12.5%Highest 7.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.77Highest 1.37Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (10%)Irvine (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Tustin5% work in Orange
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.2%Highest 4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 54.8 miHighest 19.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.1 miHighest 1.8 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 28Highest 23Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Lowest 132Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #354 of 574 in CA#291 of 574 in CA
School district Unity Middle College High District · Orange UnifiedTustin Unified
High school in town El Modena HighTustin High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.4Lowest 23.9Highest
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.

Orange neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange’s Town Square.

Tustin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tustin’s Town Square.

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Bordering Orange

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Anaheim344,521 people · $831K homes
N
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North Tustin25,807 people · $1.35M homes
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Santa Ana312,534 people · $713K homes
G
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Garden Grove170,964 people · $814K homes

Towns like Orange

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Fullerton140,968 people · $903K homes
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Hayward158,801 people · $854K homes
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Concord124,035 people · $798K homes
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Oceanside172,242 people · $770K 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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