Population
Pasadena
136,462
Costa Mesa
110,538
Median Income
Pasadena
$103,778
Costa Mesa
$110,073
Home Value
Pasadena
$1,045,000
Costa Mesa
$1,054,700
Rent
Pasadena
$2,218
Costa Mesa
$2,395
Crime Rate
Pasadena
4.81
Costa Mesa
7.39
Cost of Living
Pasadena
211.5
Costa Mesa
218.8
Avg Temp
Pasadena
N/A
Costa Mesa
N/A
Unemployment
Pasadena
5.3%
Costa Mesa
4.9%
How Similar Are Pasadena & Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa is Pasadena's #6 most similar city
5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Pasadena
136,462
Costa Mesa
110,538
Pasadena has a 19% larger population than Costa Mesa.
Violent Crime
Pasadena
4.81
Costa Mesa
7.39
Costa Mesa has a 35% higher violent crime than Pasadena.
Property Crime
Pasadena
26.97
Costa Mesa
28.37
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 5% difference.
Political Leaning
Pasadena
31.9%
Costa Mesa
47.1%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Costa Mesa has a stronger Democratic lean (32% difference).
Unemployment
Pasadena
5.3%
Costa Mesa
4.9%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 9% difference.
Median Income
Pasadena
$103,778
Costa Mesa
$110,073
Both cities have similar median income — just a 6% difference.
Home Values
Pasadena
$1,045,000
Costa Mesa
$1,054,700
Both cities have similar home values — just a 1% difference.
Education
Pasadena
43.0%
Costa Mesa
31.5%
Pasadena has a 27% higher education than Costa Mesa.
Demographics
Pasadena
41.4%
Costa Mesa
52.7%
Costa Mesa has a 21% higher demographics than Pasadena.
Cost of Living
Pasadena
211.5
Costa Mesa
218.8
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.
5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Pasadena and Costa Mesa share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Pasadena
0
Costa Mesa
Pasadena leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Pasadena leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPasadena has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,085 vs $2,746 in Costa Mesa (24% lower). Pasadena has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,601 vs $3,236 in Costa Mesa (20% lower). Costa Mesa scores 115.1 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 119.7 in Pasadena.
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 9.1% in Pasadena. Pasadena has a median rent of $2,218 vs $2,395 in Costa Mesa (7% lower). Pasadena has a owner-occupied of 42.1% compared to 39.4% in Costa Mesa.
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 13.2% in Pasadena. Pasadena has a work from home of 23.6% compared to 20.0% in Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa: 18 min vs Pasadena: 21 min for mean commute.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Pasadena leads
Source: FBI UCRPasadena has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.01 compared to 0.03 in Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.75 compared to 1.20 in Pasadena. Costa Mesa has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 3.71 compared to 5.57 in Pasadena.
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 — Pasadena leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauPasadena has a bachelor's degree or higher of 43.0% compared to 31.5% in Costa Mesa. Pasadena has a high school diploma or higher of 53.0% 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 ACSPasadena has a population of 136,462, about 1.2x the size of Costa Mesa (110,538). Costa Mesa skews younger with a median age of 36.5 vs 40.1.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Pasadena
Costa Mesa
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareCosta Mesa: 4 vs Pasadena: 3 for with emergency services. Pasadena: 3.5 vs Costa Mesa: 3.3 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Pasadena leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPasadena has a public transit of 4.1% compared to 1.6% in Costa Mesa. Pasadena has a work from home of 23.6% compared to 20.0% in Costa Mesa. Costa Mesa: 18 min vs Pasadena: 21 min for mean commute time.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Pasadena, CA
Compare Pasadena 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.