Buena Park California City Guide

In 1783, Manuel Nieto, a Spanish explorer, received a land grant from the King of Spain. The land was divided among Nieto’s 5 heirs in 1834, and of the sections was a 46,806 square acre stretch of land called Rancho Los Coyotes, an expanse that included present-day Buena Park, California.

In 1850, California was granted statehood, which led to American colonization to expand into California’s far reaches, especially when the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. This movement led to Rancho Los Coyotes being portioned off to settlers to create cities in what is now known as Orange County.

On January 27, 1953, Buena Park was incorporated as a city. Although Buena Park’s name has unknown origins, one popular theory is that “Buena Park” was derived from Buena Park, Chicago, Illinois. Another possibility is the name Buena Park stems from Spanish settlers referring to the land as “Plaza Buena,” which translates to “good park” in English.

Buena Park has an unemployment rate of 3.3% and a poverty rate of 15.3%. The median household income is estimated to be $71K.

30% of residents have some college education or an associate’s degree, while 23% have a bachelor’s degree. 7% of the population has a master’s degree or higher.

40% of residents are Hispanic, while 30% are Asian. Another 25% of residents are White. 3% of the population is African American, and 3% of residents are of other ethnic backgrounds.

Buena Park is known for attracting young families and young professionals beginning to make their way in the world. Politically, the population leans towards being more liberal.

Throughout Buena Park’s borders, students are serviced by 7 different school districts. These school systems include Buena Park School District, Centralia Elementary School District, Cypress Elementary School District, Magnolia School District, Savanna School District, Anaheim Union High School District, and Fullerton Joint Union High School District.

The majority of schools in Buena Park are elementary campuses, which indicates that students have to travel to neighboring cities to attend middle school and high school. Local campuses are Gordon H Beatty Elementary, Arthur F. Corey Elementary, Charles G. Emery Elementary, Carl E. Gilbert Elementary, Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary, and James A Whitaker Elementary School. Meanwhile, Buena Park Junior High and Buena Park High School are the city’s only middle and high school campuses educating Buena Park’s students.

The most well-rated public schools that serve Buena Park students are Oxford Academy, Sunny Hills High School, Cypress High School, and Elliot Elementary School. There are also 6 well-rated private schools located in Buena Park.

The majority of Buena Park is covered by Buena Park School District, which is located in the northern part of the city. This district feeds into Fullerton Joint Union High School District.

Additionally, Centralia Elementary School District serves Buena Park’s younger residents and consists of 8 campuses.

Cypress Elementary School District stretches into Buena Park’s borders, as does the highly rated Magnolia School District, which feeds into Anaheim Union High School District.

Savanna School District educates sections of Buena Park, Cypress, and Stanton and also feeds into Anaheim Union High School District.

Buena Park is among the most affordable cities in Orange County, but the cost of living in the area is still significantly higher than the national average.

Overall, the cost of living in the area is about 1% higher than the California average, and about 42% higher than the national average.

The city offers a wide variety of homes and apartments. With a median home value of about $550,000, housing costs in the city are about 115% higher than the national average.

The costs of goods and services are about 10% higher than the national average, while the costs of groceries are about 16% higher than the national average.

One can also expect to pay for healthcare expenses that are about 9% higher than the national average, and transportation expenses that are about 30% higher than the national average.