Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Daly City, CA
VS
Garden Grove, CA
🏆 Garden Grove leads 12 of 22 categories
Daly City
California
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
118.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$114,910 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
78
Population
103,648
Garden Grove
California
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$86,139
Violent Crime Index
73 ✓ Safer
Population
171,637 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Daly City, CA
Pros
Households earn $28,771 more per year on average
More college-educated — 38.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cooler summers — July highs near 62°F vs 83°F
Smaller class sizes — 21.3:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $1,073,100
Higher rents — median is $2,554/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 118.2)
Cost of living runs 3% higher than Garden Grove
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
Homes cost $371k less ($702,600 vs $1,073,100)
Rent averages $667/mo less ($1,887 vs $2,554)
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 59°F
3% cheaper overall cost of living than Daly City
Cons
Median income trails Daly City by $28,771/yr
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Key Differences at a Glance
Daly City
Median Income
$28,771
$114,910 vs $86,139/yr
Garden Grove
Cost of Living
3% cheaper
COL index 115.5 vs 118.2 (100 = US avg)
Garden Grove
Violent Crime
7% lower
276.6 vs 296.3 per 100k
Garden Grove
Median Home Value
$371k less
$702,600 vs $1,073,100
Garden Grove
Summer Heat
20.7°F warmer
July avg high 82.5°F vs 61.8°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Daly City, CA | Garden Grove, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 118.2⚠ High | 115.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $1,073,100⚠ High | $702,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,554⚠ High | $1,887⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $114,910 ✓ Higher | $86,139 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.8%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.8 min⚠ High | 29.1 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 10.1% ✓ Higher | 8.7% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 81 | 77 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 78 | 73 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 86 | 84 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (91) ✓ Better | C+ (87) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 21.3:1 ✓ Smaller | 22.9:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 38.5% ✓ Higher | 23.5% |
| High School or Higher | 87.8% ✓ Higher | 75.4% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Jefferson Elementary | Garden Grove Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 59.0°F | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 61.8°F | 82.5°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.6" | 12.5" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 103,648 | 171,637 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 41.4 ✓ Older | 39.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.2% ✓ Higher | 54.0% |
| Under 18 | 14.8% | 21.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 19.5% ✓ More | 14.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Daly City's cost of living index is 118.2 vs Garden Grove's 115.5 (US average = 100).
Garden Grove is 3% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Garden Grove leads 12 of 22 categories. Daly City wins 10 and Garden Grove wins 12. 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 Daly City to Garden Grove or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($1,073,100 vs $702,600 median home), income ($114,910 vs $86,139), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Daly City, CA and Garden Grove, CA are about 370 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.