Orange County vs Riverside County
Orange County, California versus Riverside County, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Orange County edges out Riverside County on overall objective livability (44 vs 38 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Orange County | Riverside County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $109k | $85k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $69k |
| Home Value | $863k | $463k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.67% | 0.86% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.54% | 20.91% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 91°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.6 in | 5.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 1.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 276 days | 327 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 205 days | 111 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.8 | 99.9 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 79 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.3 | 67.9 |
| Violent Crime | 823/100k | 921/100k |
| Property Crime | 2003/100k | 2298/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,175,227 | 2,429,487 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 36.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.69 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 38.5% | 32.4% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 6.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 33.9% | 50.8% |
| Asian (%) | 21.5% | 6.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 34 min |
| Walkability | 13.3/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 96 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.6% | 91.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.74 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Orange County or Riverside County more affordable?
- Riverside County has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Orange County's $83k and Riverside County's $69k. Median rent is $2k in Orange County versus $2k in Riverside County.
- Is Orange County or Riverside County safer?
- Orange County has the lower violent crime rate. Orange County reports 823/100k and Riverside County reports 921/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Orange County or Riverside County?
- The median home value is $863k in Orange County and $463k in Riverside County, so homes are more affordable in Riverside County.