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
Lakewood
Santa Ana
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 23%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
76 · Top 14%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Lakewood | Santa Ana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,850 | 312,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,177 | $93,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,789 | $30,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,500/sq mi | 11,416/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $827,200 | $713,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,347 | $2,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.7% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 49.2% | 88.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.0" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.66 | 20.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.3% | 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
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Santa Ana
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Lakewood, CA · Santa Ana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology