Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Pasadena vs Oakland on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 33 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

PasadenaOakland
Pasadena
Photo by Jimmy Woo on Unsplash

Pasadena

California

City page

Oakland

California

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Housing and tax tradeoff: Oakland, California

Oakland, California comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.

Biggest tradeoff: Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on daily convenience.

Potential dealbreaker: Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population142,250419,267
Population DensityN/A7.8k /sq mi
Center Elevation863 ft(263 m)43 ft(13 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$1,165,144
$687,040
Median Rent
$2,889
$2,476
Median Income$97,818$94,389
Rent Burden35%31%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun346 days/yr336 days/yr
Avg. High76°F67°F
Avg. Low54°F50°F
Comfort Score94/100Excellent93/100Excellent
Temp Swing26°F18°F
Annual Precipitation24"(61 cm)25"(64 cm)
Annual Snowfall0"(0 cm)0"(0 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 712024 modeled avg · 82 days > 100
Typical: 372024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Transit Score
72
88
Safety Score69 / 10038 / 100
School Rating5.8/105.3/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Central Tract Wildfire RiskN/A
minimalMinimal
Internet Access
Fiber: 27%Cable: 95%
Fiber: 86%Cable: 99%
Demographics
Median Age39.9 years37.5 years
College Educated54%48%
Remote Workers20%20%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Pasadena.
One featured slot per city
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Oakland.
One featured slot per city
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Pasadena vs Oakland: Cost, Climate, Housing & Daily Life | WhyThere