Boca Raton vs Buena Park
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $722,700 in Boca Raton and $838,800 in Buena Park.
- Boca Raton has the warmer winter: January highs of 76°F vs 69°F.
- Boca Raton has more scorching days: 59 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 39.
- Boca Raton is growing faster: +4.2% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Boca Raton (21 vs 29 minutes each way).
- Florida has no state income tax on wages; California's top rate is 13.3%.
Side by side
| Boca Raton, FL | Buena Park, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 101,582 | 81,741 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | -2.7% |
| People per square mile | 3,481 | 7,765 |
| Median age | 46.0 | 37.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $106,273 | $110,550 |
| Median home value | $722,700 | $838,800 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 7.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,508 | $2,206 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 114.2 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 155.6 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,600 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | None | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.2 | 28.8 |
| Work from home | 24% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 10% | 8.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 76° / 60° | 69° / 46° |
| July high / low | 91° / 78° | 84° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 56 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 59 | 39 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 11 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 99.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 53% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +58.7% | +45.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Boca Raton: November to April. Buena Park: September to July.
Full monthly tables: Boca Raton weather by month and Buena Park weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,600 in Boca Raton and $85,200 in Buena Park. Moving from Boca Raton to Buena Park, you would need about $74,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Boca Raton and Buena Park
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Boca Raton and Buena Park.
Which would you pick?
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