Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Aurora, IL
VS
Garden Grove, CA
🏆 Aurora leads 17 of 23 categories
Aurora
Illinois
17
wins
Cost of Living Index
102.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$85,943
Violent Crime Index
70 ✓ Safer
Population
181,405 ✓ Larger
Garden Grove
California
6
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$86,139 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
73
Population
171,637
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Aurora, IL
Pros
Homes cost $461k less ($241,600 vs $702,600)
Rent averages $425/mo less ($1,462 vs $1,887)
13% cheaper overall cost of living than Garden Grove
More college-educated — 35.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 31°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $702,600
Higher rents — median is $1,887/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 13% higher than Aurora
Key Differences at a Glance
Aurora
Cost of Living
13% cheaper
COL index 102.6 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Aurora
Violent Crime
4% lower
266.0 vs 276.6 per 100k
Aurora
Median Home Value
$461k less
$241,600 vs $702,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Aurora, IL | Garden Grove, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 102.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper | 115.5⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $241,600 ✓ Lower | $702,600⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,462⚠ High ✓ Lower | $1,887⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $85,943 | $86,139 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.8%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.6 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 29.1 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 12.1% ✓ Higher | 8.7% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 66 ✓ Safer | 77 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 70 ✓ Safer | 73 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 ✓ Safer | 84 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (105) ✓ Better | C+ (87) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 14.5:1 ✓ Smaller | 22.9:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 35.2% ✓ Higher | 23.5% |
| High School or Higher | 80.9% ✓ Higher | 75.4% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Indian Prairie CUSD 204 | Garden Grove Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 30.5°F | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 84.0°F ✓ Warmer | 82.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.5" | 12.5" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.9" | 0.0" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 181,405 ✓ Larger | 171,637 |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 39.2 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 66.8% ✓ Higher | 54.0% |
| Under 18 | 26.7% ✓ More | 21.2% |
| Over 65 | 10.5% | 14.3% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Aurora's cost of living index is 102.6 vs Garden Grove's 115.5 (US average = 100).
Aurora is 13% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Aurora leads 17 of 23 categories. Aurora wins 17 and Garden Grove wins 6. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Aurora to Garden Grove or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($241,600 vs $702,600 median home), income ($85,943 vs $86,139), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Aurora, IL and Garden Grove, CA are about 1,702 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.