Median rent is 7% lower in Fresno ($1,421/mo vs $1,528/mo). Buying is cheaper in Fresno, where the median home runs $374,800 versus $387,500. Households earn more in Glendale ($73,530 vs $70,991 a year).
City A
Fresno, CA
City B
Glendale, AZ
How much would you need to earn in Glendale, AZ to maintain your standard of living from Fresno, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Fresno
California
Glendale
Arizona
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Fresno at $1,421/mo compared to $1,528/mo in Glendale (7% gap). Median home values are within 3% of each other: $374,800 in Fresno and $387,500 in Glendale.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Fresno
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Glendale
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Glendale has cleaner air on average: 28.0 AQI (Good) compared to 53.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Glendale if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 28.0).
Is Fresno cheaper than Glendale?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Fresno vs Glendale?
Median rent is $1,421/mo in Fresno, CA and $1,528/mo in Glendale, AZ. Fresno, CA has the lower rent by about 7%.
Which has higher salaries — Fresno or Glendale?
Median household income is $70,991 in Fresno, CA and $73,530 in Glendale, AZ. Glendale, AZ has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Glendale, AZ has better air quality on average: 28.0 AQI versus 53.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Fresno or Glendale?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Glendale to match my Fresno income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
