Brea California City Guide

52% of Brea’s over 42,000 residents are female, while males comprise 49%. The majority of the population are young, working professionals who are aged 35 to 54 years. 16%, meanwhile, have ages that range from 5 to 17.

The number of people who choose to reside in Brea continues to rise at an annual rate of 0.97%. The city’s population has grown by 12% since the last census in 2010.

Brea spans over 12 miles and has a population density of 3,616 people per square mile.

Brea is among the most ethnically diverse cities in California. 45% of the city’s residents are White, 29% are Hispanic, and 21% are Asian. Around 2% of residents are African American, and 3% are biracial or multiracial.

Many residents here also belong to racial and ethnic groups that include French, German, Irish, English, and Italian.

English remains the most commonly spoken language in the city. 12.8% speak Spanish and 29.5% speak other languages.

The education level of residents in Brea ranks among the highest in the US. Of the 25-and-older adult population in the city, 77% have sought tertiary education. 23% are college graduates, and 94% have finished high school.

An estimated 28% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree, 9% have earned an associate degree, and 17% have graduate or professional degrees.

Approximately 1,700 or 6% of residents have not graduated from high school.

With a median property value of $730K, Brea’s real estate market is among the most expensive in the United States.

The majority of Brea real estate at 47.5% is worth between $613K-$919K. 15.8% of the market is more expensive and priced between $919K-$1.2 million. Another 5.2% of Brea properties are priced over the $1.2 million mark.

Meanwhile, 11.7% of properties are worth between $490K-$613K, and 8% of properties vary from $368K-$490K. 4.4% of properties range between $123K-$368K, and just 7.4% of real estate is worth under $123K.

Between December 2009 and December 2019, Brea had one of the highest appreciation rates in the country, seeing as real estate appreciated 54.31% during this specified time period. This number annualizes at an average rate of 4.43%, which indicates that purchasing Brea real estate has a high likelihood of being an investment that pays off considerably well.

61% of properties are owner-occupied, and 39% are rented. Typically, 3.3% of properties are vacant.

52.5% of properties were built between 1970-1999, and an impressive 15.8% of properties were built in or after 2000, which means newly built housing can be more easy to find. On the other end of the spectrum, 29% of housing options were built between 1940-1969, and another 2.6% of properties were constructed in or before 1939.

57.1% of properties are single family detached homes, and about 8% of properties are condominiums and attached properties. Another 4% of options are small apartment buildings, and the remaining properties are larger apartment complexes.

Housing size varies a good deal in Brea, seeing as 13.6% of options are 1 bedroom properties, 21.6% are 2 bedroom residences, and 30% are 3 bedroom layouts. Additionally, about 28% of residences have 4 bedrooms, and 4% have 5 or more bedrooms.

The majority of over 21,000 workers in Brea have white-collar jobs at 88%. It is among the cities in California with a significantly high unemployment rate at 5.5%. The poverty rate tracks at around 7%.

Most of the professionals in Brea work in the education, healthcare, and the scientific and technical sectors. A resident in the city earns an average annual salary that is above the US median by 19% at $35,245. The median household income in the city is $93,703, and the per capita income in the area is $42,302.