Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Garden Grove, CA
VS
San Bernardino, CA
🏆 Garden Grove leads 14 of 22 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
San Bernardino
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
107.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$61,323
Violent Crime Index
236⚠ High
Population
221,041 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
69% less violent crime than San Bernardino
Households earn $24,816 more per year on average
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.8 pts lower (5.8%)
More college-educated — 23.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cooler summers — July highs near 83°F vs 95°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 8% higher than San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA
Pros
Homes cost $356k less ($347,100 vs $702,600)
Rent averages $568/mo less ($1,319 vs $1,887)
8% cheaper overall cost of living than Garden Grove
Smaller class sizes — 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Garden Grove by $24,816/yr
Violent crime (897.1/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2897.7/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (7.6% vs 5.8%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Garden Grove
Median Income
$24,816
$86,139 vs $61,323/yr
Garden Grove
Violent Crime
69% lower
276.6 vs 897.1 per 100k
Garden Grove
Unemployment
1.8 pp lower
5.8% vs 7.6% unemployment
San Bernardino
Cost of Living
8% cheaper
COL index 107.9 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
San Bernardino
Median Home Value
$356k less
$347,100 vs $702,600
San Bernardino
Summer Heat
12.9°F warmer
July avg high 95.4°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Garden Grove, CA | San Bernardino, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 107.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $702,600⚠ High | $347,100⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,887⚠ High | $1,319 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $86,139 ✓ Higher | $61,323 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.1 min⚠ High | 28.5 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 8.7% ✓ Higher | 5.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 77 ✓ Safer | 197⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 73 ✓ Safer | 236⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 84 ✓ Safer | 138⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) ✓ Better | C (81) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 22.9:1 | 20.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.5% ✓ Higher | 12.8% |
| High School or Higher | 75.4% ✓ Higher | 72.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Garden Grove Unified | San Bernardino City Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 66.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 95.4°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 21.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 171,637 | 221,041 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 39.2 ✓ Older | 31.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% ✓ Higher | 48.9% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | 27.9% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.3% ✓ More | 9.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Garden Grove's cost of living index is 115.5 vs San Bernardino's 107.9 (US average = 100).
San Bernardino is 8% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Garden Grove leads 14 of 22 categories. Garden Grove wins 14 and San Bernardino wins 8. 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 San Bernardino or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($702,600 vs $347,100 median home), income ($86,139 vs $61,323), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Garden Grove, CA and San Bernardino, CA are about 46 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.