Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Orange, CA
VS
Palm Bay, FL
🏆 Palm Bay leads 12 of 22 categories
Orange
California
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$109,335 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
60 ✓ Safer
Population
138,728 ✓ Larger
Palm Bay
Florida
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.8⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$62,538
Violent Crime Index
91
Population
121,513
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Orange, CA
Pros
Households earn $46,797 more per year on average
35% less violent crime than Palm Bay
Violent crime is well below the national average (226.1 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 40.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.0 pts lower (4.7%)
Cooler summers — July highs near 83°F vs 91°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $848,200
Higher rents — median is $2,148/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 15% higher than Palm Bay
Palm Bay, FL
Pros
Homes cost $622k less ($226,200 vs $848,200)
Rent averages $803/mo less ($1,345 vs $2,148)
15% cheaper overall cost of living than Orange
Smaller class sizes — 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Orange by $46,797/yr
Higher unemployment (5.7% vs 4.7%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Orange
Median Income
$46,797
$109,335 vs $62,538/yr
Orange
Violent Crime
35% lower
226.1 vs 347.2 per 100k
Orange
Unemployment
1.0 pp lower
4.7% vs 5.7% unemployment
Palm Bay
Cost of Living
15% cheaper
COL index 100.8 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Palm Bay
Median Home Value
$622k less
$226,200 vs $848,200
Palm Bay
Summer Heat
8.8°F warmer
July avg high 91.3°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Orange, CA | Palm Bay, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 100.8⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $848,200⚠ High | $226,200 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,148⚠ High | $1,345⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $109,335 ✓ Higher | $62,538 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.5 min ✓ Shorter | 27.2 min |
| Work From Home % | 14.1% ✓ Higher | 7.8% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 60 ✓ Safer | 74 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 ✓ Safer | 91 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 61 | 48 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) ✓ Better | B- (92) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.1:1 | 16.1:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% ✓ Higher | 22.0% |
| High School or Higher | 88.2% | 90.0% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Orange Unified | BREVARD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F | 72.9°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 91.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 60.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 138,728 ✓ Larger | 121,513 |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 41.8 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 58.9% | 79.9% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 21.9% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.5% | 19.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Palm Bay's 100.8 (US average = 100).
Palm Bay is 15% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Palm Bay leads 12 of 22 categories. Orange wins 10 and Palm Bay wins 12. 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 Orange to Palm Bay or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($848,200 vs $226,200 median home), income ($109,335 vs $62,538), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Orange, CA and Palm Bay, FL are about 2,230 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.