Buena Park vs Chula Vista
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $758,700 in Chula Vista and $838,800 in Buena Park.
- Buena Park has more scorching days: 39 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 4.
- Chula Vista is growing faster: +0% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
Side by side
| Buena Park, CA | Chula Vista, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 81,741 | 275,533 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.7% | +0% |
| People per square mile | 7,765 | 5,551 |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $110,550 | $108,032 |
| Median home value | $838,800 | $758,700 |
| Home value to income | 7.6× | 7.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,206 | $2,229 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 111.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 179.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $83,900 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.8 | 28.6 |
| Work from home | 11% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.6% | 8% |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 8.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 69° / 46° | 66° / 49° |
| July high / low | 84° / 66° | 74° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 9 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 39 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 11 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 18% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +2.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +40.8% |
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: Buena Park: September to July. Chula Vista: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Buena Park weather by month and Chula Vista weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Buena Park and $83,900 in Chula Vista. Moving from Buena Park to Chula Vista, you would need about $73,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Buena Park and Chula Vista
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Buena Park and Chula Vista.
Which would you pick?
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