?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Costa Mesa, CA vs Tustin, CA

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Costa Mesa needs about $84,500 in Tustin to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Tustin, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Costa Mesa.

A few differences

Costa Mesa vs Tustin · facet by facet
FacetCosta Mesa, CATustin, CA
Median home price$1,115,100$950,400
2-bedroom rent$2,492/mo$2,571/mo
Property tax rate0.75%0.75%
State & local income tax2.09%2.09%
Sales tax8.8%8.8%
Cost of living index165157
Groceries index112112
Utilities$245/mo$245/mo
Median household income$111,505$112,503
Unemployment rate5.2%5.2%
Crime index52/10052/100
School rating5.5/105.5/10
Sunny days / year260 days260 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Costa Mesa, CA · Tustin, CA
Questions & answers
Is Costa Mesa cheaper than Tustin?
Tustin has the lower day-to-day cost index (157 vs 165 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Tustin equals $85,000 in Costa Mesa?
A household earning $85,000 in Costa Mesa needs about $84,500 in Tustin to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Tustin lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Costa Mesa.