The Town FilesGarden Grove, California
City in Orange County · population 171,949 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $814,100
- Household income
- $92,174
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 19
- Median age
- 40.2
Garden Grove is a city of 171,949 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $814,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 99% of California towns, more vibrant than 96% of California towns, more walkable than 89% of California towns.
How Garden Grove ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Garden Grove is worth $814,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $92,174, which is more affordable than 18% of California towns. Median rent is $2,012 a month. 53.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Garden Grove | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $814,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,012 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $92,174 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 53.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Garden Grove
| People | Garden Grove | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 46.2% | — |
| Work from home | 11.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Garden Grove
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F. About 12.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Garden Grove since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 9, 1982 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 23, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on January 31, 1979.
Severe weather in Orange County since 1996
Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Fire | FM-5679: Norte Fire |
| May 25, 2026 | Chemical | EM-3646: Chemical Release |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2022 | Fire | FM-5439: Coastal Fire |
Jobs and pay in Orange County
Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Garden Grove itself the ACS puts it at 6%.
Public schools in Garden Grove
52 public schools with 29,355 students, about 23.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | 9-12 | 2,198 | 22.7 |
| Santiago High | 9-12 | 1,801 | 20.7 |
| Bolsa Grande High | 9-12 | 1,726 | 22.1 |
| Pacifica High | 9-12 | 1,640 | 21.9 |
| Rancho Alamitos High | 9-12 | 1,520 | 20.3 |
| Ocia A. Peters Elementary | K-6 | 912 | 25.3 |
| Patton Elementary | K-6 | 908 | 26.7 |
| John Murdy Elementary | K-6 | 673 | 24.9 |
| Hilton D. Bell Intermediate | 7-8 | 608 | 22.5 |
| Donald S. Jordan Intermediate | 7-8 | 588 | 25.6 |
| Lampson Elementary | K-5 | 582 | 32.3 |
| Bryant Elementary | K-6 | 580 | 25.2 |
Towns near Garden Grove
- Stanton, CA2.4 mi · 37,962 people · home $579,300
- Westminster, CA2.7 mi · 90,911 people · home $858,300
- Midway City, CA2.7 mi · 8,825 people · home $788,600
- Fountain Valley, CA4.7 mi · 57,047 people · home $1,072,300
- Cypress, CA5.2 mi · 50,151 people · home $913,900
- Santa Ana, CA5.3 mi · 310,227 people · home $713,000
- Orange, CA5.7 mi · 139,911 people · home $945,800
- Los Alamitos, CA5.9 mi · 11,780 people · home $1,061,900
Garden Grove questions
Is Garden Grove, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Garden Grove scores better for retirees than 28% of California towns and quieter than 4%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).
How much does a house cost in Garden Grove?
The median owner-occupied home in Garden Grove is valued at $814,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $92,174, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $2,012 a month.
What is the weather like in Garden Grove?
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Garden Grove get tornadoes?
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Garden Grove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 9, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)