Garden Grove CA vs Manchester NH — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Garden Grove, CA

California · Population: 170,603

  • Median HH Income$90,166
  • Median Home Price$1,012,728
  • Unemployment5.8%
  • Bachelor's+24.9%

Manchester, NH

New Hampshire · Population: 115,415

  • Median HH Income$77,415
  • Median Home Price$441,257
  • Unemployment3.8%
  • Bachelor's+33.5%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population
Garden Grove
170,603
Garden Grove +
Manchester
115,415
Pop. Density / sq mi
Lower = more space
Garden Grove
N/A
Manchester
N/A
Median Age
Garden Grove
39.6
Manchester
37.9
Manchester +
Foreign Born
Garden Grove
45.3%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
14.8%
White
Garden Grove
28.4%
Manchester
76.7%
Manchester +
Black
Garden Grove
1.3%
Manchester
5.3%
Manchester +
Asian
Garden Grove
41.6%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
4.6%
Hispanic
Garden Grove
37.6%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
13.5%
Spanish at Home
Garden Grove
N/A
Manchester
N/A

Economy

Median HH Income
Garden Grove
$90,166
Garden Grove +
Manchester
$77,415
Per Capita Income
Garden Grove
$32,387
Manchester
$44,220
Manchester +
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)
BEA MSA-level
Garden Grove
$77,230
Garden Grove +
Manchester
$75,331
Unemployment Rate
Garden Grove
5.8%
Manchester
3.8%
Manchester +
Poverty Rate
Garden Grove
12.2%
Manchester
10.7%
Manchester +
Bachelor's Degree+
Garden Grove
24.9%
Manchester
33.5%
Manchester +

Housing

Median Home Value
Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS
Garden Grove
$1,012,728
Manchester
$441,257
Manchester +
Homeownership Rate
Garden Grove
53.6%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
49.3%

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Garden Grove
503
Manchester
134
Manchester +
Property Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Garden Grove
2388
Manchester
1048
Manchester +

Health

Obesity Rate
CDC PLACES
Garden Grove
23.1%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
35.0%
Diabetes Rate
CDC PLACES
Garden Grove
14.1%
Manchester
9.4%
Manchester +
Poor Mental Health
CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month
Garden Grove
16.7%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
17.4%
No Health Insurance
CDC PLACES
Garden Grove
12.4%
Manchester
9.9%
Manchester +
Binge Drinking
CDC PLACES
Garden Grove
12.9%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
16.4%
Current Smokers
CDC PLACES
Garden Grove
11.4%
Garden Grove +
Manchester
12.9%

Climate

Avg Annual Temp
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Garden Grove
N/A
Manchester
49.2°F
Annual Precipitation
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Garden Grove
N/A
Manchester
44.6 in

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg
EPA AQS (state-level est.)
Garden Grove
7.9 µg/m³
Manchester
5.9 µg/m³
Manchester +
Good Air Days
AQI ≤ 50
Garden Grove
75.0%
Manchester
75.0%
Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time
Census ACS
Garden Grove
31.1 min
Manchester
25.7 min
Manchester +

Which City is Right for You?

Garden Grove leads in median household income at $90,166, while manchester offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $441,257. On public safety, Manchester is safer with a violent crime rate of 134 per 100,000 residents, compared to 503 in Garden Grove. Manchester has a lower unemployment rate at 3.8%, and Manchester has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 5.9 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Garden Grove scores better with a lower obesity rate of 23.1%.

Compare More Cities

About Garden Grove & Manchester