Orange County vs San Diego County
Orange County, California versus San Diego 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 and San Diego County score about the same overall (44 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Orange County | San Diego County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $109k | $97k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $78k |
| Home Value | $863k | $725k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| 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% | 21.60% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.6 in | 12.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.2 in | 0.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 276 days | 238 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 205 days | 273 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.8 | 99.7 |
| Air Quality | 52 AQI | 67 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.3 | 77.6 |
| Violent Crime | 823/100k | 1071/100k |
| Property Crime | 2003/100k | 1674/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,175,227 | 3,289,701 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 36.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.62 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+23 |
| White (%) | 38.5% | 43.6% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 4.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 33.9% | 34.5% |
| Asian (%) | 21.5% | 11.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 13.3/20 | 11.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 29 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.6% | 93.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.74 | 0.09 |
| 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 Diego County more affordable?
- San Diego County has the lower cost of living: its index is $78k, compared with Orange County's $83k and San Diego County's $78k. Median rent is $2k in Orange County versus $2k in San Diego County.
- Is Orange County or San Diego County safer?
- Orange County has the lower violent crime rate. Orange County reports 823/100k and San Diego County reports 1071/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Orange County or San Diego County?
- The median home value is $863k in Orange County and $725k in San Diego County, so homes are more affordable in San Diego County.