Cost of living in Brea research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Brea is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Brea is 175, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Brea is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Brea ranks as the #461 cheapest in California out of 634.
Brea ranks as the #6,138 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Brea is $1,100,263.
The median income in Brea is $124,837.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Brea has an overall cost of living index of 175, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Brea has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Brea ranks as #461 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Brea ranks as the #173 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Brea, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Brea. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Brea is 112.
The Groceries index in Brea is 115.
The Health index in Brea is 99.
The Housing index in Brea is 321.
The Transportation index in Brea is 125.
The Utilities index in Brea is 95.
| Living Expense | Brea | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 175 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 99 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 321 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Brea is $1,100,263.
The Median Rent in Brea is $2,285.
The Median Income in Brea is $124,837.
The Home Value To Income in Brea is 8.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Brea is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Brea | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,100,263 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,285 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $124,837 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Brea | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Brea | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Brea | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Brea | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Brea | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Brea. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Fullerton, CA has a cost of living index of 171, 1.0x Brea.
Lakewood, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 0.9x Brea.
Yorba Linda, CA has a cost of living index of 200, 1.1x Brea.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Brea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fullerton, CA | 141,278 | 171 | 1.0x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 0.9x |
| Yorba Linda, CA | 67,407 | 200 | 1.1x |
| La Habra, CA | 62,233 | 159 | 0.9x |
| Diamond Bar, CA | 53,750 | 174 | 1.0x |
| Placentia, CA | 52,384 | 169 | 1.0x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.0x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 0.9x |
| Rowland Heights, CA | 46,787 | 165 | 0.9x |
| Walnut, CA | 27,857 | 194 | 1.1x |