Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Orange, CA
VS
St. Paul, MN
🏆 It's a dead heat — 11 categories each
Orange
California
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$109,335 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
60 ✓ Safer
Population
138,728
St. Paul
Minnesota
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$69,919
Violent Crime Index
163⚠ High
Population
308,806 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Orange, CA
Pros
Households earn $39,416 more per year on average
63% less violent crime than St. Paul
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 24°F
Violent crime is well below the national average (226.1 vs 380/100k)
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 11% higher than St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
Pros
Homes cost $583k less ($264,900 vs $848,200)
Rent averages $974/mo less ($1,174 vs $2,148)
11% cheaper overall cost of living than Orange
Commutes run 3 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Orange by $39,416/yr
Violent crime (617.7/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2834.1/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Snowy winters — about 40" of snow per year
Key Differences at a Glance
Orange
Median Income
$39,416
$109,335 vs $69,919/yr
Orange
Violent Crime
63% lower
226.1 vs 617.7 per 100k
St. Paul
Cost of Living
11% cheaper
COL index 104.5 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
St. Paul
Median Home Value
$583k less
$264,900 vs $848,200
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Orange, CA | St. Paul, MN |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 104.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $848,200⚠ High | $264,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,148⚠ High | $1,174 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $109,335 ✓ Higher | $69,919 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.0%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.5 min | 23.1 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 14.1% | 15.4% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 60 ✓ Safer | 152⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 ✓ Safer | 163⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 61 ✓ Safer | 135⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) | B+ (104) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.1:1 | 14.8:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% | 42.8% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 88.2% | 88.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Orange Unified | Saint Paul Public Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 23.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 82.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 29.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 40.4" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 138,728 | 308,806 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 36.5 ✓ Older | 33.1 |
| Homeownership Rate | 58.9% ✓ Higher | 53.0% |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 24.0% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.5% ✓ More | 11.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange's cost of living index is 115.5 vs St. Paul's 104.5 (US average = 100).
St. Paul is 11% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 11 categories each. Orange wins 11 and St. Paul wins 11. 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 St. Paul or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($848,200 vs $264,900 median home), income ($109,335 vs $69,919), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Orange, CA and St. Paul, MN are about 1,522 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.