The Town FilesSanta Ana, California
City in Orange County · population 310,227 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $713,000
- Household income
- $93,999
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 22
- Median age
- 34.7
Santa Ana is a city of 310,227 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $713,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 97% of California towns, more of a college town than 96% of California towns, more walkable than 94% of California towns.
How Santa Ana ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Santa Ana is worth $713,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.6 times the median household income of $93,999, which is more affordable than 33% of California towns. Median rent is $2,082 a month. 44.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Ana | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $713,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,082 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $93,999 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 44.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Santa Ana
| People | Santa Ana | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 1.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 41.8% | — |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Ana
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F. About 12.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Ana since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1966 about 6.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on January 31, 1979.
Severe weather in Orange County since 1996
Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Fire | FM-5679: Norte Fire |
| May 25, 2026 | Chemical | EM-3646: Chemical Release |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2022 | Fire | FM-5439: Coastal Fire |
Jobs and pay in Orange County
Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Santa Ana itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Santa Ana
81 public schools with 55,360 students, about 21.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana High | 9-12 | 2,853 | 21.8 |
| Segerstrom High | 9-12 | 2,499 | 25.2 |
| OCSA (charter) | 7-12 | 2,288 | 17.2 |
| Foothill High | 9-12 | 2,196 | 26.8 |
| Valley High | 9-12 | 2,077 | 20.0 |
| Hector G. Godinez | 9-12 | 1,792 | 20.4 |
| Century High | 9-12 | 1,615 | 17.4 |
| Saddleback High | 7-12 | 1,499 | 20.0 |
| Gonzalo Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate | 6-8 | 1,263 | 22.2 |
| Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate | 6-8 | 1,075 | 22.9 |
| McFadden Institute of Technology | K-8 | 1,074 | 19.5 |
| Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate | 6-8 | 998 | 20.4 |
Towns near Santa Ana
- Orange, CA3.7 mi · 139,911 people · home $945,800
- Tustin, CA4.2 mi · 80,276 people · home $950,400
- Fountain Valley, CA4.3 mi · 57,047 people · home $1,072,300
- Costa Mesa, CA5.2 mi · 111,918 people · home $1,115,100
- Garden Grove, CA5.3 mi · 171,949 people · home $814,100
- North Tustin, CA5.4 mi · 25,718 people · home $1,347,800
- Midway City, CA5.9 mi · 8,825 people · home $788,600
- Westminster, CA6.5 mi · 90,911 people · home $858,300
Santa Ana questions
Is Santa Ana, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Ana scores better for retirees than 9% of California towns and quieter than 3%. 11.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.7).
How much does a house cost in Santa Ana?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Ana is valued at $713,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $93,999, so homes cost about 7.6 times income. Median rent is $2,082 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Ana?
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Santa Ana get tornadoes?
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Ana since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 1966. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)