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Pacifica vs Dana Point

392 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5.4× in Pacifica) and street grid (2.8× in Dana Point).

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Pacifica, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 37,261 people
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Dana Point, CAHomes around $1.76MCalifornia · 32,790 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.

PacificaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#27 most conserved land in CA42 miles of trails across 17 parks and preserves Schools#75 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Pacifica →
Dana PointHomes around $1.76M
Housing$1.76M typical home130% above the CA typical home Outdoors#26 most walkable in CA7.8 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves Schools#153 for schools in CAof 574 towns All about Dana Point →
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.

Trails5.4×
Pacifica has more miles of trail
Pacifica 42.1 miDana Point 7.8 mi
Street grid2.8×
Dana Point has the more walkable street grid
Dana Point 160Pacifica 57.7
Conserved land+34 pts
Pacifica has more conserved land
Pacifica 42.7%Dana Point 8.7%
Jobs per worker3×
Dana Point is more of a job hub
Dana Point 0.80Pacifica 0.27
Work from home+8.1 pts
More people work from home in Dana Point
Dana Point 31.7%Pacifica 23.6%
Property tax bill+19%
Tax bills are bigger in Dana Point
Dana Point $9,432Pacifica $7,933
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $3,010 more a month in Dana Point

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.

Pacifica$7,250/mo
Typical home $1.26M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $3,098/mo · Housing →
Dana Point$10,250/mo
Typical home $1.76M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $3,106/mo · Housing →

The difference: $3,010 a month, about $36,100 a year, between Dana Point and Pacifica.

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

Pacifica places higher on 13 of 23 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
B−PacificaSafer than 53% of U.S. towns BDana PointSafer than 60% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−PacificaBetter than 83% of districts in the state ADana PointBetter than 87% of districts in the state
Health
APacificaHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns ADana PointHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns
13Pacifica
7Dana Point

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #506#26 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #57#332 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #27#282 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #272#52 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #441#668 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #376#531 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #75#153 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #184#288

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Pacifica’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
PacificaDana Point
Snow a year0″0″
January low45°F50°F
July high69°F72°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th80th
Outdoors & history
PacificaDana Point
Trails42 mi8 mi
Conserved land42.7%8.7%
Settled—1989
National Register places21
Archive photos124
Famous people born here610
Community
PacificaDana Point
Library hours a week57 hrs60 hrs
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

392 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PacificaCADana PointCA
Pacifica ↔ Dana Point392 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.

PacificaDana Point
People
Population 37,261Highest 32,790Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.8%Highest CA: +6.1% -0.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 44.6±1.4Lowest 18% above CA 47.4±1.3Highest 25% above CA
Kids under 18 18.2%±1.7Highest CA: 22% 16.5%±2.3Lowest CA: 22%
Pacifica and Dana Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.4%±1.7Lowest CA: 15.7% 22.3%±1.9Highest CA: 15.7%
Dana Point and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 56.6%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.1%±1.2Lowest CA: 7.6% 7%±1.2Highest CA: 7.6%
Dana Point and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $160,523±$13kHighest 62% above CA $141,520±$12kLowest 43% above CA
Pacifica and Dana Point are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,249,800±$36kLowest 70% above CA $1,320,300±$91kHighest 80% above CA
Dana Point and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $3,098±$184Lowest 52% above CA $3,106±$167Highest 53% above CA
Dana Point and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,933Lowest 55% above CA $9,432Highest 84% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.4%±7.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 52.6%±6.4Highest CA: 55.3%
Dana Point and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.8%Lowest CA: 12% 7.2%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 67.7%Highest CA: 55.9% 62.4%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 10 yrs older than CA 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 5% below CA 30 minHighest 5% above CA
Work from home 23.6%±2.5Lowest CA: 17.2% 31.7%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 8.1%Highest 7.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 17.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 0.80Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (33%)Irvine (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Dana PointFew work in Pacifica
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 42.7%Highest 8.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 42.1 miHighest 7.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.4 miHighest 1.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 17Lowest 18Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.7Lowest 160Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #75 of 574 in CA#153 of 574 in CA
School district Jefferson Union High · PacificaCapistrano Unified
High school in town Terra Nova HighDana Hills High
Students per teacherat that high school 20.0Lowest 21.6Highest
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.

Pacifica neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pacifica’s Town Square.

Dana Point neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dana Point’s Town Square.

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Bordering Pacifica

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Daly City101,964 people · $1.12M homes
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San Bruno42,307 people · $1.21M homes
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South San Francisco64,305 people · $1.19M homes

Towns like Pacifica

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Martinez36,903 people · $860K homes
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Fountain Valley56,258 people · $1.07M homes
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Cypress49,498 people · $914K homes
B
+ Compare
Benicia26,749 people · $810K 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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