Should I Move To
Roughly 194,512 people live in Glendale, California. Living here costs very expensive relative to the rest of the country, 37% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,002/mo; the typical household pulls in $81,219. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 27/100 — a F, putting it at #975 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Glendale sits at 137 — very expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,002/mo against $81,219 median household income), housing eats roughly 30% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $992,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 75°F in summer, 50°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 12 inches. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. On the safer side of the national distribution, though not by a huge margin. AQI is in the moderate range at about 56.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Glendale isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 42/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is safety (74/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For retirees, Glendale isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 29/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is safety (74/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For remote workers, Glendale isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 24/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is safety (74/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
For young professionals, Glendale isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 25/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is safety (74/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (2/100).
Our overall score for Glendale is 27/100 — a F, sitting at #975 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Glendale sits at 137 — very expensive, 37% above the national average. Median renter pays around $2,002 a month.
Glendale runs mild on the weather. Summer's near 75°F, winter's near 50°F; 12 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 6/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 194,512 people live here, with 44% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 41.
Drop Glendale into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Glendale with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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