Santa Ana vs Westminster
Santa Ana, California versus Westminster, 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 Westminster on overall objective livability (50 vs 46 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Santa Ana | Westminster |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $80k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $624k | $777k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.61% | 0.63% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.72% | 22.28% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 7.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 58°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5 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 | 309 days | 303 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 64.5 | 88.0 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 79.8 | 66.0 |
| Violent Crime | 924/100k | 998/100k |
| Property Crime | 1713/100k | 3022/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 311,379 | 90,638 |
| Median Age | 33.4 | 41.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.68 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.06 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 9.1% | 20.8% |
| Black (%) | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 77.0% | 24.1% |
| Asian (%) | 11.7% | 50.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.8/20 | 15.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 4 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.3% | 91.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 30.89 | 63.11 |
| 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 Santa Ana or Westminster more affordable?
- Westminster has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Santa Ana's $83k and Westminster's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Santa Ana versus $2k in Westminster.
- Is Santa Ana or Westminster safer?
- Santa Ana has the lower violent crime rate. Santa Ana reports 924/100k and Westminster reports 998/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Santa Ana or Westminster?
- The median home value is $624k in Santa Ana and $777k in Westminster, so homes are more affordable in Santa Ana.