USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

San Diego, CA vs. Santa Ana, CA

Median rent is $2,223 a month in San Diego, CA and $1,975 in Santa Ana, CA. Household income is $104,321 against $88,354. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in San Diego, CA buys what $100,978 buys in Santa Ana, CA
+$978 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$2,223 $1,975 -11.2%
Median household income Annual
$104,321 $88,354 -15.3%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$848,500 $657,800 -22.5%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
25.6% 26.8% 1.2 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
111.5 112.6 +1.0%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$88,900 $79,000 -11.1%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,608 $2,209 -15.3%
Population City proper
1,385,061 311,639 -77.5%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in San Diego
$100,000 $100,978 +1.0%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,975
Santa Ana, CA · 12.6% below San Diego, CA
Higher household income
$104,321
San Diego, CA · 18.1% above Santa Ana, CA
Same standard of living
$100,978
$100,000 in San Diego, CA needs $100,978 in Santa Ana, CA
Price level gap
1.1 points
111.5 in CA against 112.6 in CA
Rent burden gap
1.3 points
Santa Ana, CA versus San Diego, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
89.7%
San Diego, CA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

San Diego, CA vs Santa Ana, CA: frequently asked questions

Is Santa Ana, CA more expensive than San Diego, CA?

Yes. Prices in Santa Ana, CA are about 1.0% higher than in San Diego, CA: a regional price level of 112.6 against 111.5, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Santa Ana, CA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from San Diego, CA?

About $101,000. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (111.5 in San Diego, CA, 112.6 in Santa Ana, CA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in San Diego, CA or Santa Ana, CA?

The median gross rent is $2,223 a month in San Diego, CA and $1,975 in Santa Ana, CA, a difference of $248 a month or $2,976 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, San Diego, CA or Santa Ana, CA?

The median household income is $104,321 in San Diego, CA and $88,354 in Santa Ana, CA. Rent takes 25.6% of the median income in San Diego, CA and 26.8% in Santa Ana, CA.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Santa Ana, CA?

About $79,000 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,975 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $88,900 in San Diego, CA.

More comparisons with San Diego, CA

More comparisons with Santa Ana, CA

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in San Diego, CA converted into Santa Ana, CA at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: San Diego, CA · Santa Ana, CA