Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Garden Grove, CA
VS
Long Beach, CA
🏆 Garden Grove leads 14 of 21 categories
Garden Grove
California
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$86,139 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
73 ✓ Safer
Population
171,637
Long Beach
California
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$78,995
Violent Crime Index
178⚠ High
Population
462,293 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
59% less violent crime than Long Beach
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.8 pts lower (5.8%)
Households earn $7,144 more per year on average
Cons
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Higher rents — median is $1,887/mo
Long Beach, CA
Pros
More college-educated — 33.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Rent averages $189/mo less ($1,698 vs $1,887)
Cons
Violent crime (676.4/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Property crime (3478.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (6.6% vs 5.8%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Garden Grove
Median Income
$7,144
$86,139 vs $78,995/yr
Garden Grove
Violent Crime
59% lower
276.6 vs 676.4 per 100k
Garden Grove
Unemployment
0.8 pp lower
5.8% vs 6.6% unemployment
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 115.5 on the COL index
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Garden Grove, CA | Long Beach, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 115.5⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $702,600⚠ High ✓ Lower | $709,700⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,887⚠ High | $1,698⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $86,139 ✓ Higher | $78,995 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.1 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 30.4 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 8.7% | 12.5% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 77 ✓ Safer | 173⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 73 ✓ Safer | 178⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 84 ✓ Safer | 166⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | B- (91) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 22.9:1 ✓ Smaller | 23.7:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.5% | 33.7% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 75.4% | 81.2% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Garden Grove Unified | Long Beach Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 67.4°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F ✓ Warmer | 81.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" | 12.0" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 171,637 | 462,293 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 39.2 ✓ Older | 36.1 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% ✓ Higher | 40.6% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% ✓ More | 20.7% |
| Over 65 | 14.3% ✓ More | 12.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Garden Grove's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Long Beach's 115.5 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 21 decided categories above, Garden Grove leads 14 of 21 categories. Garden Grove wins 14 and Long Beach wins 7. 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 Garden Grove to Long Beach or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($702,600 vs $709,700 median home), income ($86,139 vs $78,995), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Garden Grove, CA and Long Beach, CA are about 12 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.