Population
Berkeley
120,223
Costa Mesa
110,538
Median Income
Berkeley
$108,558
Costa Mesa
$110,073
Home Value
Berkeley
$1,351,100
Costa Mesa
$1,054,700
Rent
Berkeley
$2,127
Costa Mesa
$2,395
Crime Rate
Berkeley
6.40
Costa Mesa
7.39
Cost of Living
Berkeley
233.6
Costa Mesa
218.8
Avg Temp
Berkeley
N/A
Costa Mesa
N/A
Unemployment
Berkeley
6.0%
Costa Mesa
4.9%
How Similar Are Berkeley & Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa is Berkeley's #6 most similar city
4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Berkeley
120,223
Costa Mesa
110,538
Both cities have similar populations — Berkeley at 120,223 and Costa Mesa at 110,538.
Violent Crime
Berkeley
6.40
Costa Mesa
7.39
Costa Mesa has a 13% higher violent crime than Berkeley.
Property Crime
Berkeley
52.29
Costa Mesa
28.37
Berkeley has a 46% higher property crime than Costa Mesa.
Political Leaning
Berkeley
21.0%
Costa Mesa
47.1%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Costa Mesa has a stronger Democratic lean (55% difference).
Unemployment
Berkeley
6.0%
Costa Mesa
4.9%
Berkeley has a 19% higher unemployment than Costa Mesa.
Median Income
Berkeley
$108,558
Costa Mesa
$110,073
Both cities have similar median income — just a 1% difference.
Home Values
Berkeley
$1,351,100
Costa Mesa
$1,054,700
Berkeley has a 22% higher home values than Costa Mesa.
Education
Berkeley
47.7%
Costa Mesa
31.5%
Berkeley has a 34% higher education than Costa Mesa.
Demographics
Berkeley
54.8%
Costa Mesa
52.7%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 4% difference.
Cost of Living
Berkeley
233.6
Costa Mesa
218.8
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 6% difference.
4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Berkeley and Costa Mesa share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Berkeley
0
Costa Mesa
Cost of Living & Affordability — Costa Mesa leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDBerkeley has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,385 vs $2,746 in Costa Mesa (13% lower). Costa Mesa scores 360.6 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 400.0 in Berkeley. Berkeley has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,912 vs $3,236 in Costa Mesa (10% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCosta Mesa has a vacancy rate of 4.7% compared to 10.3% in Berkeley. Costa Mesa has a median property tax of $6,676 vs $10,001 in Berkeley (50% lower). Berkeley has a median home value of $1,351,100 vs $1,054,700 in Costa Mesa (28% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Costa Mesa leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSCosta Mesa has a poverty rate of 8.9% compared to 16.8% in Berkeley. Berkeley has a work from home of 32.5% compared to 20.0% in Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa has a unemployment rate of 4.9% compared to 6.0% in Berkeley.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Costa Mesa leads
Source: FBI UCRCosta Mesa has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.75 compared to 1.87 in Berkeley. Costa Mesa has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.03 compared to 0.06 in Berkeley. Costa Mesa has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 28.37 compared to 52.29 in Berkeley.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Berkeley leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBerkeley has a bachelor's degree or higher of 47.7% compared to 31.5% in Costa Mesa. Berkeley has a high school diploma or higher of 51.9% compared to 43.5% in Costa Mesa.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBerkeley has a population of 120,223, about 1.1x the size of Costa Mesa (110,538). Berkeley skews younger with a median age of 32.9 vs 36.5.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Berkeley
Costa Mesa
Healthcare — Berkeley leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareBerkeley: 5 vs Costa Mesa: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Berkeley leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBerkeley has a public transit of 15.8% compared to 1.6% in Costa Mesa. Berkeley has a bicycle of 4.8% compared to 1.0% in Costa Mesa. Berkeley has a work from home of 32.5% compared to 20.0% in Costa Mesa.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Berkeley, CA
Compare Berkeley against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.