United States › California › Brea CITY
Brea California · 47,260 residents (2025 est.) · 12.6 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Brea is home to 47,469 people in California. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $922,300. 52% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. That puts it in the top 3% of US cities for household income. Renters pay $2,397 a month at the median. Median household income runs $131,129, well clear of the $82,259 US median.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 104%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 35,410 in 2000
47,260 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
3,753 / sq mi
+25%since 2009
from 3,011 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
31K 36K 40K 45K 49K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Brea Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $131,129
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $59,759 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $26,307 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 53.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 5.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.393 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing 3.8%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.7%
Education & health services 0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$922,300
+104%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $248,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$2,397
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $935 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 64.2% in 2000
40.3% rent
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.70 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 38.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 43.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 7.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 66.5%(23,541)
Hispanic / Latino 20.3%(7,205)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 35.4%(16,810)
Hispanic / Latino 29.9%(14,197)
from 71 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data from 33.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 88.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 21.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 86.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 67.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 79.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 48.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 20.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 7.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 12.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 91.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 96.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 70.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 13.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 32.4%(5,933)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 12.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 68.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 12.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 79.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 25.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 16.1%(248)
Gulf War (1990s) 21.9%(337)
Share of the 1,542 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Brea, California? Brea, California has about 47,469 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Brea, California? The typical household in Brea, California earns about $131,129 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Brea, California expensive? In Brea, California, the median home is worth about $922,300, and the typical rent is about $2,397 a month.
How educated are people in Brea, California? About 52.2% of adults age 25 and over in Brea, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Brea, California? About 6.6% of people in Brea, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Brea, California grown since 1990? Yes, Brea, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 14,596 residents, a change of about 44 percent over that period.
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