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
Moreno Valley
Santa Ana
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
90 · Top 5%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Moreno Valley | Santa Ana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 211,666 | 312,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,222 | $93,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,872 | $30,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,125/sq mi | 11,416/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $503,700 | $713,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,135 | $2,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.3% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 287 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -18.2% | 88.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.4" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.2 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.5 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 41 | 64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.18 | 20.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.0% | 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
Moreno Valley
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Santa Ana
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Moreno Valley
56
Your Score
48
Area Score
Santa Ana
59
Your Score
53
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Moreno Valley, CA · Santa Ana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology