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Tustin vs Orange

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where they are

Tustin and Orange share a border

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

TustinOrangeTustinOrange
Tustin ↔ Orange4.8 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.

Tustin$6,750/mo
Typical home $1.16M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $2,449/mo · Housing →
Orange$6,520/mo
Typical home $1.13M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $2,327/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
TustinOrange
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F49°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th88th
Outdoors & history
TustinOrange
Trails20 mi55 mi
Conserved land4%9.2%
Settled—1869
National Register places417
Archive photos1913
Famous people born here1751
Community
TustinOrange
Library hours a week60 hrs51 hrs
Colleges in town—2
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.

TustinOrange
People
Population 78,981Lowest 138,266Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.3%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.6%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 37.5±1.3Highest about the CA average 37.2±0.8Lowest 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 22.5%±1.6Highest CA: 22% 20.4%±1.1Lowest CA: 22%
Tustin and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.1%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7% 15.3%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 47.4%Highest CA: 37.1% 39.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6% 9.9%±0.8Highest 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 $112,503±$6kLowest 13% above CA $117,113±$4kHighest 18% 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 $950,400±$31kHighest 29% above CA $945,800±$15kLowest 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 $2,449±$57Highest 20% above CA $2,327±$50Lowest 14% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,725Highest 31% above CA $6,215Lowest 21% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61.6%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3% 53.5%±3.9Lowest 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 9.9%Highest CA: 12% 9.5%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 48.8%Lowest CA: 55.9% 56.7%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than CA 1973Lowest 3 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 21% below CA 26 minHighest 10% below CA
Work from home 19.2%±1.9Highest CA: 17.2% 17.7%±1.5Lowest 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 7.2%Lowest 12.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.37Lowest 1.77Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (17%)Irvine (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Orange3% work in Tustin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4%Lowest 9.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 19.8 miLowest 54.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miLowest 2.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 23Lowest 28Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 132Highest 107Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #291 of 574 in CA#354 of 574 in CA
School district Tustin UnifiedUnity Middle College High District · Orange Unified
High school in town Tustin HighEl Modena High
Students per teacherat that high school 23.9Highest 21.4Lowest
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.

Tustin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tustin’s Town Square.

Orange neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange’s Town Square.

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Bordering Tustin

N
+ Compare
North Tustin25,807 people · $1.35M homes
+ Compare
Santa Ana312,534 people · $713K homes
+ Compare
Irvine311,690 people · $1.19M homes

Towns like Tustin

+ Compare
La Mesa60,797 people · $812K homes
B
+ Compare
Burbank104,546 people · $1.09M homes
+ Compare
Fullerton140,968 people · $903K 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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