Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Huntington Beach, CA
VS
Surprise, AZ
🏆 Surprise leads 14 of 22 categories
Huntington Beach
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$114,747 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
55
Population
197,481 ✓ Larger
Surprise
Arizona
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$87,756
Violent Crime Index
29 ✓ Safer
Population
145,591
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Huntington Beach, CA
Pros
Households earn $26,991 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (207.3 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 46.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cooler summers — July highs near 79°F vs 105°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $976,800
Higher rents — median is $2,318/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 14% higher than Surprise
Surprise, AZ
Pros
Homes cost $624k less ($352,600 vs $976,800)
47% less violent crime than Huntington Beach
Rent averages $496/mo less ($1,822 vs $2,318)
Violent crime is well below the national average (109.1 vs 380/100k)
14% cheaper overall cost of living than Huntington Beach
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.8 pts lower (4.6%)
Cons
Median income trails Huntington Beach by $26,991/yr
Hot summers — July highs average 105°F
Key Differences at a Glance
Huntington Beach
Median Income
$26,991
$114,747 vs $87,756/yr
Surprise
Cost of Living
14% cheaper
COL index 101.2 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Surprise
Violent Crime
47% lower
109.1 vs 207.3 per 100k
Surprise
Median Home Value
$624k less
$352,600 vs $976,800
Surprise
Unemployment
0.8 pp lower
4.6% vs 5.4% unemployment
Surprise
Summer Heat
25.7°F warmer
July avg high 104.6°F vs 78.9°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Huntington Beach, CA | Surprise, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 101.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $976,800⚠ High | $352,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,318⚠ High | $1,822⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $114,747 ✓ Higher | $87,756 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High | 4.6%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.7 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 30.5 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 16.6% ✓ Higher | 14.8% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 71 | 34 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 55 | 29 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 95 | 42 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (97) ✓ Better | B- (95) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.4:1 | 20.0:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 46.7% ✓ Higher | 31.0% |
| High School or Higher | 93.5% | 93.7% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Huntington Beach City Elementary | Dysart Unified District (4243) |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.0°F ✓ Warmer | 65.2°F |
| Avg High — July | 78.9°F | 104.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.2" | 9.9" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 197,481 ✓ Larger | 145,591 |
| Median Age | 43.3 ✓ Older | 41.5 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.7% | 78.4% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 17.9% | 24.5% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 18.7% | 22.6% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Huntington Beach's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Surprise's 101.2 (US average = 100).
Surprise is 14% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Surprise leads 14 of 22 categories. Huntington Beach wins 8 and Surprise wins 14. 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 Huntington Beach to Surprise or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($976,800 vs $352,600 median home), income ($114,747 vs $87,756), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Huntington Beach, CA and Surprise, AZ are about 319 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.