Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Huntington Beach, CA
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 Huntington Beach leads 14 of 23 categories
Huntington Beach
California
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$114,747 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
55 ✓ Safer
Population
197,481 ✓ Larger
Visalia
California
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,658
Violent Crime Index
115⚠ High
Population
141,466
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Huntington Beach, CA
Pros
Households earn $39,089 more per year on average
52% less violent crime than Visalia
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 94°F
Milder winters — January highs near 67°F vs 55°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 Visalia
Visalia, CA
Pros
Homes cost $660k less ($316,600 vs $976,800)
Rent averages $1029/mo less ($1,289 vs $2,318)
14% cheaper overall cost of living than Huntington Beach
Commutes run 8 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 21.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Huntington Beach by $39,089/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Huntington Beach
Median Income
$39,089
$114,747 vs $75,658/yr
Huntington Beach
Violent Crime
52% lower
207.3 vs 435.3 per 100k
Visalia
Cost of Living
14% cheaper
COL index 101.3 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Visalia
Median Home Value
$660k less
$316,600 vs $976,800
Visalia
Summer Heat
14.9°F warmer
July avg high 93.8°F vs 78.9°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Huntington Beach, CA | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $976,800⚠ High | $316,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,318⚠ High | $1,289 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $114,747 ✓ Higher | $75,658 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.7 min⚠ High | 21.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 16.6% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 71 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 55 ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 95 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (97) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.4:1 | 21.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 46.7% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 93.5% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Huntington Beach City Elementary | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.0°F ✓ Warmer | 55.3°F |
| Avg High — July | 78.9°F | 93.8°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.2" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.1" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 197,481 ✓ Larger | 141,466 |
| Median Age | 43.3 ✓ Older | 33.0 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.7% | 60.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 17.9% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 18.7% ✓ More | 13.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Huntington Beach's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
Visalia is 14% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Huntington Beach leads 14 of 23 categories. Huntington Beach wins 14 and Visalia wins 9. 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 Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($976,800 vs $316,600 median home), income ($114,747 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Huntington Beach, CA and Visalia, CA are about 197 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.