Median Income
$120,226
household / year
Median Home Value
$834,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,218
gross / month
Cost of Living
116
national avg = 100

Is Brea, CA a Good Place to Live?

Brea is a small city of 47,099 in California, with a median household income of $120,226 and a 5.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.

Strengths: Brea stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Brea is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Brea city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 115.5

Brea's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Brea costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.

Metric Brea, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $834,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,218 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 61.0% 65.9%
Median Household Income $120,226 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Brea's violent crime rate is 210.6 per 100,000 residents — 45% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
210.6 /100k
Property Crime
2865.0 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Brea is served primarily by Brea-Olinda Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.5:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Brea, CA National Avg
School District Brea-Olinda Unified —
Elementary Schools 7 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 22.5:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 48.1% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.1% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Brea sees average highs of 71.0°F in January and 86.8°F in July, with 13.5 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricBrea, CA
Average High — January71.0°F
Average High — July86.8°F
Annual Precipitation13.5"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricBrea, CANational Avg
Population47,099—
Median Age39.738.9
Unemployment Rate5.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.1 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)51.5%59.3%
Black or African American0.9%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino16.6%18.9%
Asian26.3%6.3%
Under 1822.1%22.2%
65 and over15.7%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Placentia, CA 3 mi Rowland Heights, CA 3 mi Fullerton, CA 5 mi La Habra, CA 5 mi La Habra Heights, CA 5 mi

ZIP Codes in Brea

Brea, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes:

92821 92823

Brea vs Other Cities

Brea, CA vs Placentia, CA Brea, CA vs Rowland Heights, CA Brea, CA vs Fullerton, CA Brea, CA vs La Habra, CA Brea, CA vs La Habra Heights, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Brea's cost of living index is 116, where 100 is the national average. That puts Brea roughly 16% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $834,600 and median rent is $2,218/month.
Brea's violent crime rate is 210.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2865.0 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Brea are operated by Brea-Olinda Unified. The district has 7 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.5:1. 48.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Brea, CA has a population of 47,099, a median household income of $120,226, and an unemployment rate of 5.0%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Brea averages 71.0°F in January and 86.8°F in July. Annual rainfall is 13.5 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Brea, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: 92821, 92823.
The population of Brea, California is 47,099 with a median age of 39.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Brea: cost of living index 116 (100 = US average), median home $834,600, median household income $120,226, crime index 88 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Brea side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.