Orange County vs San Bernardino County
Orange County, California versus San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County on overall objective livability (44 vs 38 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Orange County | San Bernardino County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $109k | $77k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $66k |
| Home Value | $863k | $438k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $603k | $403k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.67% | 0.72% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.54% | 20.29% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 7.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 88°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.6 in | 6.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 7.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 276 days | 323 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 43°F |
| Comfortable Days | 205 days | 79 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 71 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.3 | 69.0 |
| Violent Crime | 823/100k | 1265/100k |
| Property Crime | 2003/100k | 1967/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,175,227 | 2,180,563 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 33.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.71 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+11 |
| White (%) | 38.5% | 25.9% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 33.9% | 55.0% |
| Asian (%) | 21.5% | 7.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 13.3/20 | 11.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 97 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.6% | 90.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.74 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
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 San Bernardino County more affordable?
- San Bernardino County has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Orange County's $83k and San Bernardino County's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Orange County versus $2k in San Bernardino County.
- Is Orange County or San Bernardino County safer?
- Orange County has the lower violent crime rate. Orange County reports 823/100k and San Bernardino County reports 1265/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Orange County or San Bernardino County?
- The median home value is $863k in Orange County and $438k in San Bernardino County, so homes are more affordable in San Bernardino County.