The Town FilesSantee, California
City in San Diego County · population 60,037 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $727,200
- Household income
- $113,394
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 40.3
Santee is a city of 60,037 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $727,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 92% of California towns, more of a college town than 82% of California towns, better for families than 73% of California towns.
How Santee 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 Santee is worth $727,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.4 times the median household income of $113,394, which is more affordable than 50% of California towns. Median rent is $2,250 a month. 72.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santee | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $727,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,250 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $113,394 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 72.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Santee
| People | Santee | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 11.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 13.7% | — |
| Work from home | 17.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santee
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 57 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 3 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santee since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 10, 2000 about 6.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 10, 2000.
Severe weather in San Diego County since 1996
San Diego County has been included in 51 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2024 | Flood | DR-4758: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in San Diego County
San Diego County had 1,536,541 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $82,854 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Santee itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.
Public schools in Santee
12 public schools with 8,720 students, about 33.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santana High | 9-12 | 1,712 | 100.7 |
| West Hills High | 9-12 | 1,515 | 216.4 |
| Rio Seco Elementary | K-8 | 920 | 24.2 |
| Carlton Oaks Elementary | K-8 | 877 | 22.5 |
| Cajon Park Elementary | K-8 | 866 | 23.4 |
| Hill Creek Elementary | K-8 | 690 | 21.6 |
| Chet F. Harritt Elementary | K-8 | 625 | 25.0 |
| Carlton Hills Elementary | K-8 | 576 | 21.3 |
| PRIDE Academy at Prospect Avenue | K-8 | 563 | 26.8 |
| Sycamore Canyon Elementary | K-6 | 360 | 22.5 |
| Santee Alternative | K-8 | 14 | 7.0 |
| Santee Success Program | K-8 | 2 | 2.0 |
Towns near Santee
- Eucalyptus Hills, CA3.2 mi · 5,517 people · home $857,200
- Bostonia, CA3.6 mi · 16,882 people · home $487,600
- Winter Gardens, CA3.7 mi · 22,380 people · home $608,600
- El Cajon, CA4.0 mi · 106,215 people · home $681,700
- Lakeside, CA4.8 mi · 21,152 people · home $634,400
- Granite Hills, CA5.9 mi · 3,267 people · home $974,500
- La Mesa, CA6.3 mi · 61,121 people · home $812,000
- Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA6.4 mi · 19,576 people · home $952,400
Santee questions
Is Santee, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santee scores better for retirees than 41% of California towns and quieter than 30%. 16.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.3).
How much does a house cost in Santee?
The median owner-occupied home in Santee is valued at $727,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $113,394, so homes cost about 6.4 times income. Median rent is $2,250 a month.
What is the weather like in Santee?
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Santee get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santee since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 10, 2000. 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)