City comparison
Buena Park, CA is about 20 miles (40 km) from Pasadena, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 28 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 Buena Park, CA to Pasadena, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Pasadena has a population of 137,554, vs 83,542 in Buena Park — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Pasadena covers about 23 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Buena Park.
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 | Buena Park | Pasadena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,012/mo | $2,100/mo | 4.4% higher in Pasadena |
| Median home value | $702,600 | $981,600 | 39.7% higher in Pasadena |
| Median household income | $101,586 | $97,818 | 3.9% higher in Buena Park |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Buena Park, you'd need $100,190 in Pasadena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Buena Park and Pasadena have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Buena Park, you'd need about $80,152 in Pasadena to keep the same standard of living.