Santa Ana vs Westminster
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $713,000 in Santa Ana and $858,300 in Westminster.
- Households earn more in Santa Ana ($93,999 vs $85,541 median).
- Santa Ana is growing faster: +1.6% since 2020 vs -2%.
Side by side
| Santa Ana, CA | Westminster, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 315,586 | 88,966 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.6% | -2% |
| People per square mile | 11,528 | 8,862 |
| Median age | 34.7 | 43.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18% | 26% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $93,999 | $85,541 |
| Median home value | $713,000 | $858,300 |
| Home value to income | 7.6× | 10.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,082 | $2,168 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 45% | 53% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.5 | 27.0 |
| Work from home | 9% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.8% | 7.2% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 14.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 69° / 49° | 69° / 46° |
| July high / low | 83° / 65° | 84° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 13 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 30 | 39 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 11 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +45.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Santa Ana: January to December. Westminster: September to July.
Full monthly tables: Santa Ana weather by month and Westminster weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Santa Ana and $85,200 in Westminster. Moving from Santa Ana to Westminster, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.