Santa Ana, CA

Census place 0669000 · pop 312,534

F32/ 100
💀 Bad
D−
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Prop tax0.56% · top 14%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 4%
💡 Did you know?

Seat of Orange County and home to the historic Santa Ana train depot and a notably dense urban core.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.56% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1004

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)-6.1%6

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-6.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Uninsured adults20.7%7

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

20.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Homeownership44.6%8

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

44.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Housing cost$713,0009

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$713,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$2,800/mo11

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,800/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level16 days13

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

16 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Physical inactivity33.3%14

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

33.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Violent crime rate498/100k17

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

498 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Bachelor's degree or higher18.3%18

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

18.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Poor mental health18.7%26

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

18.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Property crime rate1722/100k36

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

1722 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Commute time25 min46

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.7%47

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Poverty rate10.8%54

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

10.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access92.2%55

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

92.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Adult smoking11.6%67

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

11.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Median household income$93,99971

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$93,999 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Income inequality0.4074

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.40 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Adult obesity29.0%80

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

29.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Property-tax burden0.56%86

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.56% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Frequently asked

Is Santa Ana, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Santa Ana scores 32/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property-tax burden and its weakest is natural disaster risk. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Santa Ana, CA?
Santa Ana reports 498 violent crimes per 100k and 1722 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Santa Ana, CA expensive to live in?
Santa Ana has a median home value of $713,000 and typical rent around $2,800/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Santa Ana, CA?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Santa Ana, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is property-tax burden (0.56%) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Seat of Orange County and home to the historic Santa Ana train depot and a notably dense urban core.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.