Santa Ana, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Santa Ana

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 316,184

Big-city amenities
Santa Ana, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Santa Ana, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
66
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Santa Ana stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $865,610
1-year +0.3%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak -0.7%
Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-01$866k$393k$564k$735k$906k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
78/100
Very walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
59/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,854/mo$1,983$2,521$3,060202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent133135100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 25.3
Rent

At a 25.3 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Santa Ana for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
86 · w18%
Population growth
55 · w16%
Rent YoY
64 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
76 · w10%
Long thesis

Santa Ana has held up across the cycle: home values at $865,610 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Santa Ana carries a $865,610 median home with only +0.3% YoY. Premium pricing in a flat tape is the bear setup — you're paying for the trend that already ran while new buyers can't afford to extend it.

About Santa Ana

Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 316,184. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The median home value in Santa Ana is $865,610 as of 2026-04, up 0.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Santa Ana average $2,854 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.9%). The composite momentum score is 66 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.7% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $865,610 with only +0.3% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Santa Ana (Wikipedia)

Santa Ana is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As of 2023, Santa Ana is the third most populous city in Orange County, the 14th-most populous city in California, and the 65th most populous city in the United States. Santa Ana is a major regional economic and cultural hub for the Orange Coast.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorValerie Amezcua
Area27.37 sq mi
Elevation115 ft
Founded1869
MottoEducation First
Densityauto/sq mi
Named forSaint Anne

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Orange County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Orange County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Santa Ana

56 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Riverglen$1,566,922+2.9%
2Floral Park$1,386,822+3.8%
3West Floral Park$1,315,593+1.8%
4Fisher Park$1,303,904+8.2%
5Metro Classic$1,172,421+1.1%
6Casa de Santiago$1,160,308+0.6%
7Fairbridge Square$1,142,463-2.6%
8Mar – Les$1,137,167+0.3%
9Portola Park$1,134,176+3.8%
10Morning Sunwood$1,128,059+1.8%
11Sandpointe$1,113,816-1.4%
12Park Santiago$1,112,363+0.6%
13Young Square$1,110,385-0.0%
14West Grove Valley$1,080,286-3.2%
15Fairhaven$1,056,791-1.5%
16Morrison-Eldridge Park$1,030,306+1.2%
17Thornton Park$1,027,374+0.2%
18Mabury Park$991,029-0.4%
19Washington Square$979,982+2.2%
20Laurelhurst$965,739-2.1%
21Concord$963,125-2.3%
22Sunwood Central$958,978+3.2%
23Edna Park$942,269+1.8%
24Valley Adams$911,036-0.5%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Santa Ana

Anaheim, CA63 · RisingSan Bernardino, CA67 · RisingBakersfield, CA66 · RisingHesperia, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Santa Ana

ToolCan I afford Santa Ana?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Santa Ana rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Santa Ana to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSanta Ana cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Santa Ana listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Santa Ana

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