The 10 Best Anaheim Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 103 places around Anaheim to identify the most in demand places to live.

Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best Anaheim suburbs.

Big city living isn't for everyone--but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.

There's the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There's traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing--pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you're looking at.

But that's where the suburbs come in--they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.

Of course, not all suburbs of Anaheim are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...

What's the best suburb of Anaheim? South Pasadena ranks as the best suburb of Anaheim for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of South Pasadena, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Anaheim 'burbs better than the rest--but first, a bit about our methodology.

Note: This result may differ from our state wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a larger selection of suburbs.

Feel free to check out some more reading about California:

The 10 Best Anaheim Suburbs To Live For 2022

South Pasadena is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Anaheim area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome South Pasadena."

Everyone here is rich; families average $109,927 a year, which is the 13th highest in the Anaheim region. And only 4.09% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,113,100 each.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 25,478
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 4)
Median Income: $109,927
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 6.8%
More on South Pasadena: Real Estate | Data | Photos

South Pasadena, CA

Newport Beach is the second best 'burb we looked at near Anaheim for 2022.

It ranks 4th for incomes in the area and only 2.39% of residents lack insurance, good for 4th best.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 86,694
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $133,849
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 6.9%
More on Newport Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Newport Beach, CA

Here in Yorba Linda, it's really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you'll see in the Anaheim metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Yorba Linda.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 68,103
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $133,088
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Yorba Linda: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Yorba Linda, CA

Mission Viejo ranks as the 4th best suburb of Anaheim for 2022.

You won't find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Mission Viejo and the schools are some of the best around.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 95,638
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 5)
Median Income: $121,299
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Mission Viejo: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Mission Viejo, CA

Source: Public domain

Coming in as the fifth best is La Palma.

La Palma gets kudos for having the 30th most expensive homes in the Anaheim area, where houses sell for an average of $686,800. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 15,657
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Income: $108,363
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.3%
More on La Palma: Real Estate | Data | Photos

La Palma, CA

San Marino is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here's why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.19% which is 2nd best in the area.

According to online reports, San Marino is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Anaheim area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,020
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 5)
Median Income: $164,423
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 7.1%
More on San Marino: Real Estate | Data | Photos

San Marino, CA

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Aliso Viejo.

Aliso Viejo schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it's only 19.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 50,385
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)
Median Income: $118,540
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Poverty Rate: 5.2%
More on Aliso Viejo: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Aliso Viejo, CA

Villa Park is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 1.51% of people lack insurance, good for 2nd in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 5,883
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Income: $164,476
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 7.5%
More on Villa Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Villa Park, CA

Is 'Everything Better In Rancho Santa Margarita?'

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it's really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 48,280
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Median Income: $125,329
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 5.0%
More on Rancho Santa Margarita: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 is Dana Point.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It's far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 33,782
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Income: $105,250
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Dana Point: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Dana Point, CA

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Anaheim for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around Anaheim was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High Median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

Then we used the newest American Community Survey data for 2016-2020 to research each suburb.

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Anaheim.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 103 suburbs to evaluate around Anaheim.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 103 in each category, where 1 was the "best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the "Best Suburb near Anaheim." We're lookin' at you, South Pasadena. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best of the best. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Anaheim 'Burbs of 2022

We said it once and we'll say it again--life in the big city isn't for everyone. At least not all the time.

So if you're hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like Anaheim, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more California reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Anaheim Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 South Pasadena, CA 25,478 $109,927
2 Newport Beach, CA 86,694 $133,849
3 Yorba Linda, CA 68,103 $133,088
4 Mission Viejo, CA 95,638 $121,299
5 La Palma, CA 15,657 $108,363
6 San Marino, CA 13,020 $164,423
7 Aliso Viejo, CA 50,385 $118,540
8 Villa Park, CA 5,883 $164,476
9 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 48,280 $125,329
10 Dana Point, CA 33,782 $105,250
11 San Clemente, CA 64,929 $108,183
12 Cerritos, CA 49,388 $109,229
13 Sierra Madre, CA 10,829 $106,719
14 La Habra Heights, CA 5,318 $163,750
15 El Cerrito, CA 25,280 $108,294
16 Eastvale, CA 65,766 $127,881
17 Laguna Niguel, CA 65,048 $119,608
18 Cypress, CA 49,137 $102,005
19 Laguna Beach, CA 22,991 $128,099
20 Arcadia, CA 57,053 $95,736
21 Walnut, CA 29,764 $108,264
22 Diamond Bar, CA 55,870 $100,723
23 Huntington Beach, CA 199,778 $97,469
24 Laguna Hills, CA 31,613 $102,358
25 Placentia, CA 52,049 $100,707
26 Lake Forest, CA 84,666 $112,988
27 Brea, CA 44,182 $100,969
28 Lakewood, CA 79,676 $96,487
29 Claremont, CA 35,610 $101,080
30 La Mirada, CA 48,260 $92,493
31 Irvine, CA 272,694 $108,318
32 Fountain Valley, CA 56,118 $89,924
33 Chino Hills, CA 82,800 $104,661
34 San Juan Capistrano, CA 35,976 $103,922
35 San Dimas, CA 33,812 $90,234
36 Seal Beach, CA 24,268 $72,596
37 Tustin, CA 80,815 $88,386
38 Orange, CA 139,322 $96,605
39 Glendora, CA 51,087 $99,153
40 Costa Mesa, CA 112,958 $90,370
41 Alhambra, CA 84,509 $66,593
42 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 178,060 $92,290
43 Buena Park, CA 82,228 $84,680
44 La Verne, CA 32,346 $93,473
45 Norco, CA 27,021 $106,370
46 Monrovia, CA 37,636 $81,990
47 San Gabriel, CA 40,108 $70,892
48 West Covina, CA 105,808 $85,626
49 Whittier, CA 84,821 $76,026
50 Signal Hill, CA 11,430 $86,140
51 Laguna Woods, CA 16,056 $46,449
52 Artesia, CA 16,456 $74,375
53 Downey, CA 111,263 $75,974
54 Upland, CA 77,348 $76,259
55 Fullerton, CA 141,061 $85,471
56 Monterey Park, CA 60,597 $63,389
57 Temple, CA 4,709 $67,628
58 Corona, CA 168,112 $88,434
59 Midway, CA 3,132 $51,005
60 Los Alamitos, CA 11,521 $89,323
61 Pico Rivera, CA 62,507 $70,620
62 Covina, CA 47,787 $77,913
63 La Habra, CA 62,787 $83,532
64 Garden Grove, CA 172,800 $73,611
65 Norwalk, CA 104,524 $77,425
66 Rosemead, CA 53,850 $60,006
67 Carson, CA 91,354 $86,040
68 Santa Fe Springs, CA 17,643 $69,922
69 Grand Terrace, CA 12,559 $70,200
70 Westminster, CA 90,857 $67,142
71 Chino, CA 89,170 $85,659
72 Long Beach, CA 462,081 $66,410
73 Santa Ana, CA 332,610 $72,406
74 Duarte, CA 21,399 $82,620
75 Baldwin Park, CA 75,659 $68,741
76 Hawaiian Gardens, CA 14,212 $61,422
77 Bellflower, CA 76,339 $63,848
78 Fontana, CA 212,704 $75,681
79 Montebello, CA 62,697 $62,781
80 La Puente, CA 39,780 $66,132
81 Stanton, CA 38,317 $66,017
82 Azusa, CA 49,584 $65,912
83 Riverside, CA 327,569 $72,738
84 El Monte, CA 113,917 $53,874
85 Paramount, CA 53,949 $57,313
86 South El Monte, CA 20,791 $54,208
87 Pomona, CA 151,124 $62,407
88 Ontario, CA 178,194 $67,357
89 South Gate, CA 94,905 $55,084
90 Lake Elsinore, CA 64,201 $74,490
91 Jurupa Valley, CA 106,646 $77,787
92 Maywood, CA 27,127 $50,996
93 Montclair, CA 40,041 $63,245
94 Bell, CA 35,301 $47,740
95 Lynwood, CA 69,625 $57,063
96 Colton, CA 54,215 $56,762
97 Bell Gardens, CA 41,770 $45,289
98 Commerce, CA 12,738 $54,639
99 Lakeland, CA 110,335 $50,136
100 Compton, CA 95,804 $58,703

How Is Your Town In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.