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
Palmdale
Santa Ana
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 6%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 32%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Palmdale | Santa Ana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 164,634 | 312,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,770 | $93,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,441 | $30,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,552/sq mi | 11,416/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $471,000 | $713,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,802 | $2,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 472 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 391.7% | 88.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 5.9" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 41.5 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 45 | 64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.09 | 20.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.4% | 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
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Santa Ana
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Palmdale, CA · Santa Ana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology