Monterey, CA vs Orange, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Monterey

62.7

#1834 nationally

Orange

63.3

#1780 nationally

Orange leads in crime level (6.2 vs 10.5). Monterey leads in average commute (19.1 min vs 26.5 min). Orange leads in median household income ($109,335 vs $98,003).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Monterey, CA	Orange, CA
WhereAtHome Score	62.7 (#1834)	63.3 (#1780)
Population	29,116	138,337
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$1,179,065	$1,136,729
Median Household Income	$98,003	$109,335
Average Commute	19.1 min	26.5 min
Walk Score	53	51
Crime Level	10.5	6.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	192	178
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+29.9	D+2.6