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Compare towns

Pleasant Hill vs Brea

365 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+16.1 pts in Brea) and work from home (+10.8 pts in Pleasant Hill).

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Pleasant Hill, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 34,235 people
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Brea, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 47,469 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.

Pleasant HillAn outdoors town
Outdoors#37 most walkable in CA12 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves Schools#93 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Pleasant Hill →
BreaKnown for its schools
Schools#80 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 88%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#205 most trails in CA22 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves All about Brea →
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.

Growth since 2010+16.1 pts
Brea has grown faster since 2010
Brea +20.5%Pleasant Hill +4.4%
Work from home+10.8 pts
More people work from home in Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill 26.2%Brea 15.4%
Jobs per worker2×
Brea is more of a job hub
Brea 1.99Pleasant Hill 1.00
Trails+73%
Brea has more miles of trail
Brea 21.5 miPleasant Hill 12.4 mi
Home values+17%
Homes cost more in Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill $1,077,100Brea $922,300
Street grid+50%
Pleasant Hill has the more walkable street grid
Pleasant Hill 152Brea 101
★ What stands out · Report cards

Brea 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
DPleasant HillSafer than 9% of U.S. towns C−BreaSafer than 21% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−Pleasant HillBetter than 54% of districts in the state A−BreaBetter than 81% of districts in the state
Health
APleasant HillHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns ABreaHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns
10Pleasant Hill
11Brea

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

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #412#64 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #308#84 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #120#332 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #258#148 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #37#235 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#99 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #415#246 SafestSafety · 411 towns #364#280

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $850 more a month in Brea

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.

Pleasant Hill$5,690/mo
Typical home $975K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $2,533/mo · Housing →
Brea$6,540/mo
Typical home $1.12M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $2,397/mo · Housing →

The difference: $850 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Brea and Pleasant Hill.

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
Pleasant HillBrea
Snow a year0″0″
January low42°F—
July high88°F—
Growing season (days)346d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th89th
Outdoors & history
Pleasant HillBrea
Trails12 mi22 mi
Conserved land3.9%10.1%
Settled1961—
National Register places11
Archive photos91
Famous people born here620
Community
Pleasant HillBrea
Library hours a week46 hrs42 hrs
Colleges in town1—
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

365 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Pleasant HillCABreaCA
Pleasant Hill ↔ Brea365 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.

Pleasant HillBrea
People
Population 34,235Lowest 47,469Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +20.5%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 42±1.1Highest 11% above CA 39.7±1.4Lowest 5% above CA
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.2%±1.9Lowest CA: 22% 22.7%±1.9Highest CA: 22%
Brea and Pleasant Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.6%±1.7Highest CA: 15.7% 17.2%±1.4Lowest CA: 15.7%
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 54.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 52.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±1.6Highest CA: 7.6% 7.2%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6%
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $145,029±$13kHighest 46% above CA $131,129±$12kLowest 32% above CA
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,077,100±$29kHighest 47% above CA $922,300±$24kLowest 26% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,533±$164Highest 24% above CA $2,397±$82Lowest 18% above CA
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,616Highest 49% above CA $6,740Lowest 32% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.7%±9.5Highest CA: 55.3% 53.3%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3%
Pleasant Hill and Brea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.3%Highest CA: 12% 6.6%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 62.6%Highest CA: 55.9% 59.7%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA 1978Highest 2 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minLowest 5% above CA 31 minHighest 9% above CA
Work from home 26.2%±2.8Highest CA: 17.2% 15.4%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 5.6%Lowest 8.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.00Lowest 1.99Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (12%)Anaheim (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BreaFew work in Pleasant Hill
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 10.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 12.4 miLowest 21.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 1.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 12Lowest 15Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 152Highest 101Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #93 of 574 in CA#80 of 574 in CA
School district Contra Costa County ROP · Mt. Diablo UnifiedBrea-Olinda Unified
High school in town College Park HighBrea Olinda High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.9Highest 21.3Lowest
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.

Pleasant Hill neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pleasant Hill’s Town Square.

Brea neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brea’s Town Square.

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Bordering Pleasant Hill

R
+ Compare
Reliez Valley3,173 people · $1.74M homes
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Concord124,035 people · $798K homes
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Walnut Creek70,088 people · $1.06M homes
P
+ Compare
Pacheco4,325 people · $343K homes

Towns like Pleasant Hill

+ Compare
Laguna Hills30,740 people · $1.01M homes
+ Compare
Claremont36,595 people · $897K homes
+ Compare
Cypress49,498 people · $914K homes
+ Compare
Pacifica37,261 people · $1.25M 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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