Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Santa Ana

You think about moving to Santa Ana but want to get additional information about the city, overall quality of life, job prospects, leisure activities, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Santa Ana in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Living in Santa Ana – Overview

ClimateSanta Ana has a subtropical climate with warm and humid summers and relatively mild winters.
HousingDemand for housing, property prices and rents in Santa Ana are pretty high compared to national average, even though they are still lower compared to Los Angeles or Silicon Valley.
IncomeThe median household income in Santa Ana is slightly above national average. However, since living and housing costs are so high, many people in the Santa Ana region still struggle to make a living.
CrimeSanta Ana is a pretty safe city and crime rates are lower than in most other big cities in California.
EducationGood schools and colleges in Santa Ana, even though you should not expect to find the same world-class education as in Boston or other more renowned places.
Job MarketUnemployment rate in Santa Ana is about national average and while highly-qualified people often find goods jobs quickly, low-qualified people often struggle to find and keep their jobs.
CultureSanta Ana is a culturally diverse place and attracts many different people from all over the country.
Leisure ActivitiesYou can go surfing, swimming, hiking and do many other things in nature in the Santa Ana region.
LandscapeSanta Ana is not far away from the coast and you can therefore enjoy beautiful beaches and you will also not have to drive for long until you find nice nature reserves and other recreational spaces.
InfrastructureWhile you will find great doctors and have decent overall supply of material goods, you should still know that public transport in Santa Ana is rather poor.
Level of ToleranceSanta Ana is a pretty tolerant place where people are welcome from all over the world.
NightlifeLimited number of great bars and clubs in Santa Ana compared to other major cities like L.A.
Total Population325,891 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in santa ana

Advantages of Living in Santa Ana

  1. Above-average income level in Santa Ana
  2. Unemployment is not a big problem for highly-qualified people
  3. You can build a strong business network in Santa Ana
  4. Santa Ana is close to the coast
  5. Many recreational spaces in Santa Ana
  6. Decent educational infrastructure in Santa Ana
  7. Good doctors and hospitals in Santa Ana
  8. Santa Ana is a rather relaxed place
  9. People in Santa Ana are tolerant
  10. Easy to socialize in Santa Ana
  11. You can experience many different cultures
  12. Many delicious foods in Santa Ana
  13. Great weather in Santa Ana
  14. Mild winters attract many people from all over the US
  15. Santa Ana is a pretty safe city
  16. Santa Ana is close to many other major cities
  17. Santa Ana can be an interesting commuter city
  18. Traffic jams are not a big problem in Santa Ana
  19. Decent supply of material goods in Santa Ana
  20. Many shopping opportunities in Santa Ana
  21. Santa Ana has a big airport

Above-average income level in Santa Ana

One advantage of moving to Santa Ana is that you can make really good money in this region.

In fact, if you have important skills needed in the job market right now, you will have a rather easy time making a six-figure income relatively early in your life since median income levels in Santa Ana are significantly above national average.

Unemployment is not a big problem for highly-qualified people

If you have valuable skills needed in the job market right now, you also don’t have to worry about getting laid off in the Santa Ana region since highly-qualified people are in high demand and even if you lose your job for some reason, chances are that you will find a new one pretty soon and don’t have to deal with long-term unemployment.

You can build a strong business network in Santa Ana

Since the job market in Santa Ana is pretty strong and you can also meet many people working in L.A. or other big cities in the Santa Ana region, you will have a pretty easy time building a strong business network which can help you climb the corporate ladder in the fastest and most efficient manner.

Santa Ana is close to the coast

Another upside to moving to Santa Ana is that the city is closely located to the coast and you can therefore go swimming, surfing or do many other water sports on a regular basis while people living in Minneapolis or other cities far away from the coast will simply not have this luxury.

Many recreational spaces in Santa Ana

Not only will you have the beach, but you will also have many other green spaces where you can relax and reload your batteries during lunch break or after work so that you can stay relaxed and motivated for the challenging times that may still lie ahead of you.

Decent educational infrastructure in Santa Ana

While it is hard to find the same world-class education as people living in Boston, you will still find decent schools and colleges in Santa Ana and can make sure that your kids learn everything they need to succeed in life.

Good doctors and hospitals in Santa Ana

Another benefit of moving to Santa Ana is that you will find excellent medical infrastructure and in case you get sick, there will be many good doctors who will take care of you and will do everything to cure your disease in the most efficient manner so that you can recover as quickly as possible.

Santa Ana is a rather relaxed place

You should also know that Santa Ana is a pretty laid-back place where people are not as career-focused and busy as people living in Los Angeles. Instead, people will take more time to socialize and for other nice things in life.

People in Santa Ana are tolerant

Since people in Santa Ana are pretty tolerant, it also doesn’t matter where you come from.

You will be welcome no matter what, at least if you are friendly and tolerant yourself and are also open to doing new things from time to time.

Easy to socialize in Santa Ana

Since people in Santa Ana are tolerant and friendly, you will also have a pretty easy time making new friends in this region and chances are that you will never feel lonely.

You can experience many different cultures

Another upside to living in Santa Ana is that the city has many different cultural influences and this can be great since you can hang out with many different people and can experience many ways of life which will help you become more tolerant and can also help you grow in character in general.

Many delicious foods in Santa Ana

Due to the many different cultural influences and ethnicities, you will also be able to try many different foods from all over the world and can also get lots of inspiration regarding what you want to cook at home.

Great weather in Santa Ana

You should also not forget that you can enjoy great summers in Santa Ana since it rarely rains and Santa Ana is therefore a great place for sun lovers.

Mild winters attract many people from all over the US

Not only summers are great, but also winters are pretty mild in the Santa Ana region and while many other people living in Chicago or other colder places spend lots of time indoors during winter, you can just hang out at the beach or do other things outdoors in Santa Ana.

Santa Ana is a pretty safe city

Another advantage of living in Santa Ana is that it is also a pretty safe city and crime rates are lower than in most other big cities in California.

Hence, it can also make sense to move to Santa Ana if you search for a relatively safe place where your kids can grow up in a decent manner.

Santa Ana is close to many other major cities

Since Santa Ana is pretty close to L.A. and other major cities, you can not only enjoy the amenities of your own city but can also make many nice day trips to other cities to enjoy the great infrastructure of the L.A. metropolitan region.

Santa Ana can be an interesting commuter city

Many people also move to Santa Ana while they still work in Los Angeles and this can make sense since you can save lots of money on housing while you can still make the most money possible in L.A. and this enables you to save lots of money in this regard in the long run.

Traffic jams are not a big problem in Santa Ana

Since Santa Ana is not as crowded as L.A. or other major cities yet, you will also have a rather easy time getting around by car without losing lots of time in traffic jams.

Decent supply of material goods in Santa Ana

You will also find most things for daily life within walking distance and overall supply of material goods is pretty decent so that you don’t have to drive to other cities to get what you need as would often be the case if you moved to smaller towns.

Many shopping opportunities in Santa Ana

You will also find more than enough shopping opportunities in the Santa Ana region and if you run out of fancy boutiques, you just need to drive to L.A. a little bit and will have more than enough opportunities in this regard.

Santa Ana has a big airport

Since Santa Ana has a big international airport, you can also get to many foreign countries in an efficient manner without having to worry about layovers much and can therefore save lots of money in the long run in case you want to travel the world on a regular basis.

As you can see, there are many good reasons for moving to Santa Ana.

However, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Santa Ana so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Santa Ana or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Santa Ana

  1. Property prices in Santa Ana are pretty high
  2. Rents are barely affordable for the general public
  3. It may take you long to find a decent place to stay
  4. High living costs in Santa Ana
  5. Overall financial pressure in Santa Ana is pretty high
  6. Many people in Santa Ana are rather shallow
  7. Air quality in Santa Ana is rather poor
  8. You may have to rely on bottled water from the store
  9. Increasing gap between the poor and the rich
  10. Homelessness may become a serious problem
  11. Many locals may have to leave the Santa Ana region
  12. Santa Ana is not as exciting as L.A. or other big cities

Property prices in Santa Ana are pretty high

One problem with moving to Santa Ana is that property prices are already pretty high in this region and many people are simply no longer able to afford to buy a home and even in case they are, they would have to pay lots of money to pay off their mortgage.

Rents are barely affordable for the general public

Not only property prices are almost astronomical, but also rents are no longer affordable for the average person in the Santa Ana region and this means that many people become increasingly desperate since they just no longer know how to pay their basic expenses of daily life.

It may take you long to find a decent place to stay

Since demand for housing is pretty high in the Santa Ana region, it may also take you pretty long to find a decent place to stay once you move to Santa Ana and searching for a home for many months can be pretty annoying and frustrating.

Thus, if you don’t want to deal with those problems, you may be better off moving to Lexington or other places where overall demand for housing is far lower.

High living costs in Santa Ana

Another downside to living in Santa Ana is that also living costs are pretty high in this region compared to other cities in the US and this means that you will have to spend lots of money on drinks and other things of daily life and may not have enough left to save and invest for retirement.

Overall financial pressure in Santa Ana is pretty high

Due to high housing and living costs, overall financial pressure in Santa Ana is pretty high and this pressure may lead to all sorts of mental and emotional health problems in the long run and will also greatly lower overall quality of life.

Many people in Santa Ana are rather shallow

While many people in Santa Ana are nice and friendly, some of them are just pretty shallow and don’t want to get in touch with you unless you have lots of money and you should therefore be really careful whom you hang out with to make real friends instead of just some unimportant social contacts.

Air quality in Santa Ana is rather poor

You should also know that air quality in the Santa Ana region is pretty poor and this may not only lower your overall quality of life but you may also be at higher risk of suffering from pulmonary problems in the long run compared to people living in regions with better air quality.

You may have to rely on bottled water from the store

While Santa Ana tap water is often safe to drink, it often doesn’t taste really well and you may therefore have to rely on bottled water from the store and may have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

Increasing gap between the poor and the rich

Another disadvantage of moving to Santa Ana is that social inequality is about to get worse in this region and while the rich can afford many nice things, the poor become increasingly desperate since they no longer know how to pay for rent or other expenses of daily life and this may lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

Homelessness may become a serious problem

Since many people are no longer able to afford to pay for rent, many of them will get evicted and will end up homeless in the streets and this is not a nice picture at all and may also lead to all sorts of problems and increasing crime rates in the long run.

Many locals may have to leave the Santa Ana region

Since living in Santa Ana has become so expensive, many locals just can’t make a decent living in this region anymore and consider leaving the region and part of the charm of the city may be lost due to that.

Santa Ana is not as exciting as L.A. or other big cities

While Santa Ana offers everything to live a happy and convenient life, you should still know that it is not the most exciting city and you may miss sports events or other things you may be used to from L.A. or other bigger cities.

Top 10 Moving To Santa Ana Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Santa Ana ProsLiving in Santa Ana Cons
Decent schools and colleges in Santa AnaHigh living costs in Santa Ana
High income level in Santa AnaProperty prices are pretty high
Santa Ana is closely located to the beachMany people are no longer able to pay rent
Decent supply of material goodsHard to live the American dream in Santa Ana
You can get around by bikeSocial inequality is about to increase
Traffic jams are not a big problemFinancial pressure in Santa Ana is high
Santa Ana has lots of beautiful natureSome people are pretty shallow
Many recreational spaces in Santa AnaAir quality in Santa Ana is not great
Decent bars and clubsMany locals may have to leave Santa Ana
Santa Ana is a tolerant citySanta Ana is not the most exciting city

Is Santa Ana A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Santa Ana can make sense since you will find everything you need to live a happy life, can make really good money and crime rates are pretty low, you should also know that living and housing costs are pretty high and many people just can’t afford to live in this region anymore.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Santa Ana anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Newark

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Riverside

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Saint Paul

Sources

https://www.santa-ana.org/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/santaanacitycalifornia

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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