Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Orange, CA
VS
San Bernardino, CA
🏆 Orange leads 15 of 22 categories
Orange
California
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$109,335 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
60 ✓ Safer
Population
138,728
San Bernardino
California
7
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.
Orange, CA
Pros
Households earn $48,012 more per year on average
75% less violent crime than San Bernardino
Stronger job market — unemployment is 2.9 pts lower (4.7%)
More college-educated — 40.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (226.1 vs 380/100k)
Cooler summers — July highs near 83°F vs 95°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 8% higher than San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA
Pros
Homes cost $501k less ($347,100 vs $848,200)
Rent averages $829/mo less ($1,319 vs $2,148)
8% cheaper overall cost of living than Orange
Smaller class sizes — 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Orange by $48,012/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 4.7%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Orange
Median Income
$48,012
$109,335 vs $61,323/yr
Orange
Violent Crime
75% lower
226.1 vs 897.1 per 100k
Orange
Unemployment
2.9 pp lower
4.7% 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
$501k less
$347,100 vs $848,200
San Bernardino
Summer Heat
12.9°F warmer
July avg high 95.4°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Orange, 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 | $848,200⚠ High | $347,100⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,148⚠ High | $1,319 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $109,335 ✓ Higher | $61,323 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 7.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.5 min ✓ Shorter | 28.5 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 14.1% ✓ Higher | 5.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 60 ✓ Safer | 197⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 ✓ Safer | 236⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 61 ✓ Safer | 138⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) ✓ Better | C (81) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.1:1 | 20.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% ✓ Higher | 12.8% |
| High School or Higher | 88.2% ✓ Higher | 72.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Orange 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 | 138,728 | 221,041 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 36.5 ✓ Older | 31.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 58.9% ✓ Higher | 48.9% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 27.9% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.5% ✓ More | 9.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange'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, Orange leads 15 of 22 categories. Orange wins 15 and San Bernardino wins 7. 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 San Bernardino or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($848,200 vs $347,100 median home), income ($109,335 vs $61,323), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Orange, CA and San Bernardino, CA are about 41 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.