Orange vs Santa Ana
Orange, 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.
Orange and Santa Ana score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Orange | Santa Ana |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $109k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $848k | $624k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.67% | 0.61% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.39% | 20.72% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.9 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 | 250 days | 309 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 76.5 | 64.5 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.6 | 79.8 |
| Violent Crime | 484/100k | 924/100k |
| Property Crime | 1513/100k | 1713/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 138,728 | 311,379 |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 33.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 41.0% | 9.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 39.1% | 77.0% |
| Asian (%) | 13.1% | 11.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.5% | 1.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.2/20 | 13.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 4 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.7% | 88.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 35.75 | 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 Orange or Santa Ana more affordable?
- Santa Ana has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Orange's $83k and Santa Ana's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Orange versus $2k in Santa Ana.
- Is Orange or Santa Ana safer?
- Orange has the lower violent crime rate. Orange reports 484/100k and Santa Ana reports 924/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Orange or Santa Ana?
- The median home value is $848k in Orange and $624k in Santa Ana, so homes are more affordable in Santa Ana.