City comparison
Brea, CA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Fresno, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Brea, CA to Fresno, CA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fresno has a population of 541,528, vs 47,099 in Brea — about 11.5× larger by population. By land area, Fresno covers about 115 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Brea.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Brea | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,218/mo | $1,227/mo | 80.8% higher in Brea |
| Median home value | $834,600 | $321,800 | 159.4% higher in Brea |
| Median household income | $120,226 | $63,001 | 90.8% higher in Brea |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Brea |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 157.8 | 1.4% higher in Fresno |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Brea |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Brea |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brea, you'd need $76,022 in Fresno to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 24% cheaper overall than Brea, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 78% higher in Brea than in Fresno. If you earn $80,000 in Brea, you'd need about $60,818 in Fresno to keep the same standard of living.