City comparison
Orange, CA is about 30 miles (50 km) from Pasadena, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 38 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 Orange, CA to Pasadena, CA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Orange has a population of 138,728, vs 137,554 in Pasadena — about the same size. By land area, Orange covers about 26 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Pasadena.
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 | Orange | Pasadena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,148/mo | $2,100/mo | 2.3% higher in Orange |
| Median home value | $848,200 | $981,600 | 15.7% higher in Pasadena |
| Median household income | $109,335 | $97,818 | 11.8% higher in Orange |
| 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 Orange, you'd need $99,898 in Pasadena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Orange and Pasadena have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Orange, you'd need about $79,918 in Pasadena to keep the same standard of living.