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San Clemente vs Santa Ana

San Clemente, 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.

Overall livability

San Clemente

Mixed · objective livability46/100

Santa Ana

Solid · objective livability50/100

Santa Ana edges out San Clemente on overall objective livability (50 vs 46 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorSan ClementeSanta Ana
Affordability
Median Household Income$135k$84k
Cost of Living$83k$83k
Home Value$1.2M$624k
Monthly Rent$2k$2k
Monthly Owner Costs$4k$2k
Property Tax Rate0.65%0.61%
Income Tax13.30%13.30%
Sales Tax8.85%8.85%
Estimated total tax burden21.81%20.72%
Unemployment5.3%5.5%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)55°F58°F
Summer Temp (Jul)71°F73°F
Annual Precipitation15.3 in12.5 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days256 days277 days
Summer Humidity60°F55°F
Comfortable Days260 days309 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk60.764.5
Air Quality45 AQI41 AQI
School Quality50.479.8
Violent Crime709/100k924/100k
Property Crime1434/100k1713/100k
Community
Population64,232311,379
Median Age44.233.4
Racial Diversity0.390.68
Male/Female Ratio1.051.06
Political LeaningEvenEven
White (%)71.8%9.1%
Black (%)1.6%0.9%
Hispanic (%)17.1%77.0%
Asian (%)4.7%11.7%
Other / Multiracial (%)4.7%1.3%
Getting Around
Commute Time29 min25 min
Walkability12.8/2013.8/20
Airport Distance22 mi4 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.3%88.3%
Amenities Nearby44.3730.89
Park & Nature AccessLimitedModerate

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 San Clemente or Santa Ana more affordable?
Santa Ana has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with San Clemente's $83k and Santa Ana's $83k. Median rent is $2k in San Clemente versus $2k in Santa Ana.
Is San Clemente or Santa Ana safer?
San Clemente has the lower violent crime rate. San Clemente reports 709/100k and Santa Ana reports 924/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in San Clemente or Santa Ana?
The median home value is $1.2M in San Clemente and $624k in Santa Ana, so homes are more affordable in Santa Ana.
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