Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Garden Grove, CA
VS
Lowell, MA
🏆 It's a dead heat — 11 categories each
Garden Grove
California
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$86,139 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
73 ✓ Safer
Population
171,637 ✓ Larger
Lowell
Massachusetts
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
111.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$73,008
Violent Crime Index
140⚠ High
Population
114,737
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
48% less violent crime than Lowell
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 34°F
Households earn $13,131 more per year on average
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 4% higher than Lowell
Lowell, MA
Pros
Homes cost $340k less ($362,800 vs $702,600)
Rent averages $421/mo less ($1,466 vs $1,887)
More college-educated — 28.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Garden Grove
Cons
Violent crime (532.5/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Garden Grove by $13,131/yr
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 111.6)
Snowy winters — about 59" of snow per year
Key Differences at a Glance
Garden Grove
Median Income
$13,131
$86,139 vs $73,008/yr
Garden Grove
Violent Crime
48% lower
276.6 vs 532.5 per 100k
Lowell
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 111.6 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Lowell
Median Home Value
$340k less
$362,800 vs $702,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Garden Grove, CA | Lowell, MA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 111.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $702,600⚠ High | $362,800⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,887⚠ High | $1,466⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $86,139 ✓ Higher | $73,008 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8%⚠ High | 5.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.1 min⚠ High | 27.2 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 8.7% | 8.7% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 77 ✓ Safer | 116⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 73 ✓ Safer | 140⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 84 | 79 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | B (100) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 22.9:1 | 12.6:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.5% | 28.3% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 75.4% | 82.8% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Garden Grove Unified | Lowell |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 34.0°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 84.7°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 48.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 59.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 171,637 ✓ Larger | 114,737 |
| Median Age | 39.2 ✓ Older | 34.6 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% ✓ Higher | 43.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% ✓ More | 20.7% |
| Over 65 | 14.3% ✓ More | 11.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Garden Grove's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Lowell's 111.6 (US average = 100).
Lowell is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 11 categories each. Garden Grove wins 11 and Lowell wins 11. 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 Lowell or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($702,600 vs $362,800 median home), income ($86,139 vs $73,008), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Garden Grove, CA and Lowell, MA are about 2,571 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.