Santee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Santee
El Cajon
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
25 · Bottom 12%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 16%
vs22 · Bottom 1%
Access
60 · Bottom 7%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs47 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Santee | El Cajon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,332 | 104,449 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $113,394 | $67,511 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,612 | $31,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,588/sq mi | 7,198/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $727,200 | $681,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,250 | $1,856 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 41.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 20.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 54 | 249 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.0% | 58.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.5" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 72 mi | 73 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 26.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.3 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.76 | 22.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.1% | 70.3% | 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
Santee
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
El Cajon
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Santee, CA · El Cajon, CA · How this is calculated: methodology