Cost of living in Santee, CA — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·California·Santee·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$802,649
Median home value
$2,853/mo
Median rent
226
Cost index (US=100)
-3.3%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Santee, CA is $802,649 as of 2026-04. That places Santee above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 226 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Santee has fallen 3.3%, and over the past five years it has averaged +4.7% annual growth. The current price sits -4.2% from its 5-year peak in 2025-01.

Renters pay a median of $2,853 per month in Santee. Rents have changed +1.6% over the last year and averaged +6.0% per year over five years.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Santee are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$802,649
1-year change-3.3%
5-year CAGR+4.7%
10-year CAGR+6.1%
vs 5-year peak-4.2%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Santee compares

Cost index226 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+126.1%
Population59,104
Momentum score53 (Stable)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

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