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Pasadena vs Glendale

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: conserved land (+16.6 pts in Glendale) and trails (2× in Glendale).

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Pasadena, CAA history townCalifornia · 136,969 people
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Glendale, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 190,748 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.

PasadenaA history town
HistorySettled in 1886124 places on the National Register College town9 collegesPasadena City College Work100,504 jobsbased in Pasadena, a regional job hub All about Pasadena →
GlendaleAn outdoors town
Outdoors#66 most conserved land in CA81 miles of trails across 34 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 188414 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 72%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Glendale →
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.

Conserved land+16.6 pts
Glendale has more conserved land
Glendale 30.1%Pasadena 13.5%
Trails2×
Glendale has more miles of trail
Glendale 80.5 miPasadena 39.8 mi
Work from home+6.4 pts
More people work from home in Pasadena
Pasadena 27.6%Glendale 21.2%
Household income+19%
Households in Pasadena earn more
Pasadena $105,192Glendale $88,393
Jobs per worker+56%
Pasadena is more of a job hub
Pasadena 1.76Glendale 1.13
Bachelor’s degree++8.9 pts
More adults in Pasadena have a degree
Pasadena 56.1%Glendale 47.2%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Pasadena places higher on 14 of 26 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
DPasadenaSafer than 13% of U.S. towns CGlendaleSafer than 28% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+PasadenaBetter than 67% of districts in the state A−GlendaleBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
A−PasadenaHealthier than 83% of U.S. towns B+GlendaleHealthier than 72% of U.S. towns
14Pasadena
12Glendale

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #135#361 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #99#420 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #158#424 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #599#376 SafestSafety · 411 towns #339#218 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #245#38 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #330#485 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #252#402

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

Where they are

Pasadena and Glendale share a border

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

PasadenaGlendalePasadenaGlendale
Pasadena ↔ Glendale6.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
3,251 Glendale residents work in Pasadena (4% of its workers)
1,910 Pasadena residents work in Glendale (3.3% of its workers)
Work & commute in Glendale →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Pasadena$6,850/mo
Typical home $1.19M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $2,265/mo · Housing →
Glendale$6,790/mo
Typical home $1.18M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $2,182/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Pasadena and Glendale.

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
PasadenaGlendale
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)91st93rd
Outdoors & history
PasadenaGlendale
Trails40 mi81 mi
Conserved land13.5%30.1%
Settled18861884
National Register places12414
Archive photos3624
Famous people born here—49
Community
PasadenaGlendale
Library hours a week54 hrs66 hrs
Colleges in town93
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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.

PasadenaGlendale
People
Population 136,969Lowest 190,748Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.2%Lowest CA: +6.1% +2.5%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 40.1±0.6Lowest 6% above CA 41.4±0.7Highest 9% above CA
Glendale and Pasadena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.7%±0.9Lowest CA: 22% 18.4%±0.9Highest CA: 22%
Glendale and Pasadena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.4%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 19%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7%
Glendale and Pasadena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 56.1%Highest CA: 37.1% 47.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.7%±0.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.8%±0.6Highest CA: 7.6%
Glendale and Pasadena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $105,192±$3kHighest 6% above CA $88,393±$3kLowest 11% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,093,300±$25kLowest 49% above CA $1,102,300±$31kHighest 50% above CA
Glendale and Pasadena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,265±$38Highest 11% above CA $2,182±$34Lowest 7% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,843Highest 34% above CA $6,679Lowest 30% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.9%±2.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.3%±2.6Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 13.3%Highest CA: 12% 12.9%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 42.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 35.2%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 15 yrs older than CA 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 6% below CA 27 minHighest 6% below CA
Work from home 27.6%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2% 21.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 20.3%Highest 20.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.76Highest 1.13Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (29%)Los Angeles (37%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Glendale4% work in Pasadena
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.5%Lowest 30.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 39.8 miLowest 80.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 31Lowest 34Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 98.2Highest 73.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #150 of 574 in CA#123 of 574 in CA
School district Learning Works District · Pasadena Rosebud Academy DistrictGlendale Unified
High school in town Options For Youth - Duarte IncGlendale High
Students per teacherat that high school 28.0Highest 22.6Lowest
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.

Pasadena neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 4d

Living in Pasadena

1 neighbor in Pasadena can answer.

Glendale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Glendale’s Town Square.

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Bordering Pasadena

+ Compare
La Cañada Flintridge19,935 people · $2M homes
+ Compare
Altadena41,705 people · $1.12M homes
L
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Los Angeles3,857,263 people · $921K homes
+ Compare
San Marino12,216 people · $2M homes

Towns like Pasadena

+ Compare
Santa Barbara87,779 people · $1.57M homes
B
+ Compare
Burbank104,546 people · $1.09M homes
+ Compare
San Mateo103,105 people · $1.62M homes
+ Compare
Costa Mesa110,330 people · $1.12M 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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