Brea, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brea, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,002 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3311.1 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.25% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 39.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,042 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brea grew by 18.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 42,002 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brea is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.5% of residents. That is 1.2 points below California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,414 20.0% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,451 22.5% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,245 22.0% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,817 16.2% +1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.1% of the people living in Brea and men 47.9%.
- Women 52.1% California 49.9%
- Men 47.9% California 50.1%
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Economy
Brea has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $122,393 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.66% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brea is about 23% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $472,658 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,361 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brea is about 16.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,361 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brea spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 236 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.3 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.6 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 236 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,305 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 43,521 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,023 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Brea is 28 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Brea has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.4% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.78 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Brea has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Brea | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Brea, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Brea, CA is the smallest of the 6 cities compared here, 42,002 residents against a local median of 58,782. The measure that sets Brea, CA apart most is median home price: $472,658, 43% below the local median of $824,306.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $122,393 against a local median of $101,973, 20% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 20% above the local median it puts Brea, CA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $1,099,386 on median home price, so Brea, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Brea, CA has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brea, CA | 42,002 | $122,393 #1/6 | $472,658 #5/6 | 28.3 min #4/6 |
| Placentia, CA | 53,416 | $109,667 | $1,214,218 | 23.1 min |
| Rowland Heights, CA | 44,324 | $88,543 | $1,191,551 | 31.0 min |
| Fullerton, CA | 142,090 | $107,253 | $717,116 | 25.9 min |
| Anaheim, CA | 333,336 | $95,592 | $824,306 | 23.9 min |
| La Habra, CA | 58,782 | $101,973 | $114,831 | 30.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brea, California.
How many people live in Brea, California?
About 42,002 people live in Brea, California, in 15,042 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 39.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Brea, California?
Averaged over its land area, Brea, California has 3,311 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 38 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Brea, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($472,658 against $122,393), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,361 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Brea, California?
43.4% of adults in Brea, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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