Santa Ana, California Income Statistics
Santa Ana Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Santa Ana Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Santa Ana | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $93,782 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,343 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.0% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.4% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 13.1% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Santa Ana is about 5% lower than in California. Income has been growing faster in Santa Ana (7.0%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Santa Ana earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Santa Ana, California grew by 72.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $93,782 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Santa Ana
| Metric | Santa Ana | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.568 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $49,262 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,596 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 7.4% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Santa Ana, it is 0.568, about the same as California's 0.572, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 8% more than women's income in Santa Ana, California. Over a 35-year career, a 8% wage gap accumulates to roughly $128,310 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Santa Ana, California has widened from about 6% to 7% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 10% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,889 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Santa Ana widened by 1.4 points while California's narrowed by 4.3 points.
Employment
| Metric | Santa Ana | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 8,110 people are unemployed in Santa Ana, California.
The average commute time in Santa Ana is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Santa Ana, California has fallen from 10.0% to 4.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.6% in 2013.
Santa Ana, CA Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Santa Ana, CA is the largest of the 6 cities compared here, 313,932 residents against a local median of 112,438. Santa Ana, CA's income growth, at 7.0%/yr, runs 26% above the 5.6%/yr typical of the cities around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $93,782 against a local median of $113,143, 17% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Santa Ana, CA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread 1.6%/yr on income growth, so Santa Ana, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Santa Ana, CA has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana, CA | 313,932 | $93,782 #5/6 | 7.0%/yr #1/6 | 4.8% #2/6 | 0.568 #5/6 |
| Tustin, CA | 80,376 | $111,579 | 5.7%/yr | 5.2% | 0.555 |
| Fountain Valley, CA | 56,730 | $114,740 | 4.3%/yr | 5.8% | 0.567 |
| Costa Mesa, CA | 112,438 | $113,143 | 5.8%/yr | 4.8% | 0.530 |
| Garden Grove, CA | 175,431 | $93,534 | 5.6%/yr | 5.8% | 0.590 |
| Orange, CA | 133,060 | $116,546 | 5.3%/yr | 4.9% | 0.556 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Santa Ana, California has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than California, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Santa Ana, California.
How Rich Is Santa Ana, California?
Santa Ana has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $93,782, about 5% lower than the California average of $99,161.
How fast is household income rising in Santa Ana, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Santa Ana, California rose 73%, from $54,345 to $93,782. Over the same years, income here outpaced California as a whole: +73% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Santa Ana in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Santa Ana, California was $89,648, up 5% from $85,011 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in Santa Ana in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Santa Ana, California was $72,237. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $93,782.
Is it hard to find a job in Santa Ana, California?
Unemployment in Santa Ana, California is only 4.8%, well below the California rate of 6.6%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Santa Ana, California?
The Gini coefficient in Santa Ana is 0.568. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Santa Ana, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Santa Ana, California has widened from about 6% to 7% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 10% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,889 since 2009.
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