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Placentia vs Fullerton

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (5.3× in Fullerton) and size (2.7× in Fullerton).

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Placentia, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 52,826 people
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Fullerton, CAA college townCalifornia · 140,968 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.

PlacentiaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#11 most walkable in CA7.4 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves Schools#97 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Placentia →
FullertonA college town
College town5 collegesCalifornia State University-Fullerton HistorySettled in 188723 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 73%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Fullerton →
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.

Trails5.3×
Fullerton has more miles of trail
Fullerton 39.1 miPlacentia 7.4 mi
Size2.7×
Fullerton is the bigger place
Fullerton 140,968Placentia 52,826
Homeowners+11.8 pts renters
Fullerton has more renters
Placentia 63.6%Fullerton 51.8%
Street grid+56%
Placentia has the more walkable street grid
Placentia 178Fullerton 114
★ What stands out · Where they are

Placentia and Fullerton share a border

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

PlacentiaFullertonPlacentiaFullerton
Placentia ↔ Fullerton4.2 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,330 Placentia residents work in Fullerton (5.4% of its workers)
931 Fullerton residents work in Placentia (1.5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Placentia →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Placentia

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.

Placentia$6,390/mo
Typical home $1.1M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $2,388/mo · Housing →
Fullerton$6,000/mo
Typical home $1.04M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $2,194/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Placentia and Fullerton.

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

Placentia places higher on 15 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
CPlacentiaSafer than 34% of U.S. towns C−FullertonSafer than 21% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−PlacentiaBetter than 84% of districts in the state A−FullertonBetter than 80% of districts in the state
Health
A−PlacentiaHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns B+FullertonHealthier than 73% of U.S. towns
15Placentia
7Fullerton

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

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #131#370 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #102#407 Most-used librariesLibraries · 117 towns #38#84 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #248#364 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #502#292 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #334#558 SafestSafety · 411 towns #174#282 Most library borrowingLibraries · 117 towns #54#83

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Placentia’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
PlacentiaFullerton
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F—
July high87°F—
Growing season (days)365d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)86th89th
Outdoors & history
PlacentiaFullerton
Trails7 mi39 mi
Conserved land2.6%8.1%
Settled—1887
National Register places223
Community
PlacentiaFullerton
Library hours a week61 hrs36 hrs
Colleges in town—5
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.

PlacentiaFullerton
People
Population 52,826Lowest 140,968Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.6%Lowest CA: +6.1% +6.3%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 39.1±1.2Highest 3% above CA 36.9±0.8Lowest about the CA average
Kids under 18 23.3%±1.8Highest CA: 22% 22.1%±1.2Lowest CA: 22%
Placentia and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.7%±1.2Highest CA: 15.7% 15.2%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7%
Placentia and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 44.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 43.5%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6% 10.1%±0.7Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $115,929±$6kHighest 17% above CA $104,286±$3kLowest 5% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $921,000±$17kHighest 25% above CA $902,600±$13kLowest 23% above CA
Placentia and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,388±$84Highest 17% above CA $2,194±$37Lowest 8% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,159Highest 20% above CA $5,697Lowest 11% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.4%±6.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.4%±3.7Highest CA: 55.3%
Fullerton and Placentia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.9%Lowest CA: 12% 12.3%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 63.6%Highest CA: 55.9% 51.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest same as CA 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 7% below CA 31 minHighest 6% above CA
Work from home 15.4%±2.2Highest CA: 17.2% 14.9%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2%
Placentia and Fullerton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 6.2%Lowest 10.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 0.97Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Anaheim (12%)Anaheim (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Fullerton2% work in Placentia
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 8.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 7.4 miLowest 39.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Lowest 45Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 178Highest 114Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #97 of 574 in CA#164 of 574 in CA
School district Placentia-Yorba Linda UnifiedFullerton Elementary · Fullerton Joint Union High
High school in town Valencia HighTroy High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.9Lowest 23.2Highest
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.

Placentia neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Placentia’s Town Square.

Fullerton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fullerton’s Town Square.

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Bordering Placentia

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Anaheim344,521 people · $831K homes
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Yorba Linda67,170 people · $1.15M homes
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Brea47,469 people · $922K homes

Towns like Placentia

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Camarillo70,186 people · $827K homes
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San Bruno42,307 people · $1.21M homes
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Glendora50,926 people · $863K homes
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Rocklin73,327 people · $703K 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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