USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Santa Ana, CA vs. St. Paul, MN

Median rent is $1,975 a month in Santa Ana, CA and $1,248 in St. Paul, MN. Household income is $88,354 against $73,055. 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 Santa Ana, CA buys what $87,419 buys in St. Paul, MN
-$12,581 less to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,975 $1,248 -36.8%
Median household income Annual
$88,354 $73,055 -17.3%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$657,800 $280,300 -57.4%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
26.8% 20.5% -6.3 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
112.6 98.4 -12.6%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$79,000 $49,900 -36.8%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,209 $1,826 -17.3%
Population City proper
311,639 307,762 -1.2%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Santa Ana
$100,000 $87,419 -12.6%

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
$1,248
St. Paul, MN · 58.3% below Santa Ana, CA
Higher household income
$88,354
Santa Ana, CA · 20.9% above St. Paul, MN
Same standard of living
$87,419
$100,000 in Santa Ana, CA needs $87,419 in St. Paul, MN
Price level gap
14.2 points
112.6 in CA against 98.4 in MN
Rent burden gap
6.3 points
St. Paul, MN versus Santa Ana, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
101.6%
St. Paul, MN · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Santa Ana, CA vs St. Paul, MN: frequently asked questions

Is St. Paul, MN more expensive than Santa Ana, CA?

No. Prices in St. Paul, MN are about 12.6% lower than in Santa Ana, CA: a regional price level of 98.4 against 112.6, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in St. Paul, MN to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Santa Ana, CA?

About $87,400. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (112.6 in Santa Ana, CA, 98.4 in St. Paul, MN) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Santa Ana, CA or St. Paul, MN?

The median gross rent is $1,975 a month in Santa Ana, CA and $1,248 in St. Paul, MN, a difference of $727 a month or $8,724 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Santa Ana, CA or St. Paul, MN?

The median household income is $88,354 in Santa Ana, CA and $73,055 in St. Paul, MN. Rent takes 26.8% of the median income in Santa Ana, CA and 20.5% in St. Paul, MN.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in St. Paul, MN?

About $49,900 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,248 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $79,000 in Santa Ana, CA.

More comparisons with Santa Ana, CA

More comparisons with St. Paul, MN

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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 Santa Ana, CA converted into St. Paul, MN 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: Santa Ana, CA · St. Paul, MN