Santa Ana receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Carson
Santa Ana
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 17%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Growth
16 · Bottom 5%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 22%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Carson | Santa Ana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 92,871 | 312,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,703 | $93,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,282 | $30,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,958/sq mi | 11,416/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $704,400 | $713,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,956 | $2,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -18.2% | 88.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.6" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 30 | 64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.17 | 20.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.9% | 84.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Carson
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Santa Ana
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Carson, CA · Santa Ana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology