Brea vs Santa Ana
Brea, California versus Santa Ana, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Santa Ana edges out Brea on overall objective livability (50 vs 44 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Brea | Santa Ana |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $120k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $835k | $624k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.74% | 0.61% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.35% | 20.72% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.5 in | 12.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 193 days | 309 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 91.1 | 64.5 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.3 | 79.8 |
| Violent Crime | 567/100k | 924/100k |
| Property Crime | 3247/100k | 1713/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 47,099 | 311,379 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 33.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.64 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 37.9% | 9.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 31.1% | 77.0% |
| Asian (%) | 25.6% | 11.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 1.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 13.9/20 | 13.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 4 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.9% | 88.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 65.61 | 30.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brea or Santa Ana more affordable?
- Santa Ana has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Brea's $83k and Santa Ana's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Brea versus $2k in Santa Ana.
- Is Brea or Santa Ana safer?
- Brea has the lower violent crime rate. Brea reports 567/100k and Santa Ana reports 924/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Brea or Santa Ana?
- The median home value is $835k in Brea and $624k in Santa Ana, so homes are more affordable in Santa Ana.