Santa Ana has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.
If you want the upside of Santa Ana without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.
So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Santa Ana: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Santa Ana for 2026:
What’s the best suburb of Santa Ana? Palos Verdes Estates ranks as the best suburb of Santa Ana for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Palos Verdes Estates, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Santa Ana ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about California:
The 10 Best Santa Ana Suburbs To Live For 2026
/10
Population: 12,925
Median Income: $242,014
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Palos Verdes Estates is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Santa Ana area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Palos Verdes Estates.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $242,014 a year, which is the highest in the Santa Ana region. And only 4.74% are out of work. Homes average more than $2,763,820 each.
/10
Population: 83,845
Median Income: $156,867
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%
Poverty Rate: 6.6%
More on Newport Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Newport Beach is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Santa Ana for 2026.
It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 1.89% of residents lack insurance, good for 5th best.
/10
Population: 69,291
Median Income: $150,245
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 5.4%
More on Redondo Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Here in Redondo Beach, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Santa Ana 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 Redondo Beach.
/10
Population: 5,748
Median Income: $202,245
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 7.8%
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Villa Park ranks as the 4th best suburb of Santa Ana for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Villa Park and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 32,790
Median Income: $141,520
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Poverty Rate: 7.2%
More on Dana Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Coming in as the fifth best is Dana Point.
Dana Point gets kudos for having the 8th most expensive homes in the Santa Ana area, where houses sell for an average of $1,736,392. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 15,272
Median Income: $117,989
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 5.0%
More on La Palma: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
La Palma 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 3.87%.
According to online reports, La Palma is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Santa Ana area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 40,864
Median Income: $179,623
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Rancho Palos Verdes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Rancho Palos Verdes.
Rancho Palos Verdes 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 27.9 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 12,216
Median Income: $214,167
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Poverty Rate: 6.7%
More on San Marino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
San Marino 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 3.1% of people lack insurance, good for 12th in the area.
/10
Population: 22,710
Median Income: $143,843
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 6.1%
More on Laguna Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Is ‘Everything Better In Laguna Beach?’
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.
/10
Population: 67,170
Median Income: $157,582
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 5.8%
More on Yorba Linda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Yorba Linda.
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.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Santa Ana for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Santa Ana was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- 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
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Santa Ana.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 100 suburbs to evaluate around Santa Ana.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 100 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Santa Ana.” We’re lookin’ at you, Palos Verdes Estates.
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 more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Santa Ana suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Santa Ana ‘Burbs of 2026
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.
The best suburbs of Santa Ana are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Santa Ana but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more California reading, check out:
Table: Best Santa Ana Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palos Verdes Estates, CA | 12,925 | $242,014 | $2,763,820 |
| 2 | Newport Beach, CA | 83,845 | $156,867 | $3,625,145 |
| 3 | Redondo Beach, CA | 69,291 | $150,245 | $1,500,192 |
| 4 | Villa Park, CA | 5,748 | $202,245 | $2,343,977 |
| 5 | Dana Point, CA | 32,790 | $141,520 | $1,736,392 |
| 6 | La Palma, CA | 15,272 | $117,989 | $1,203,549 |
| 7 | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | 40,864 | $179,623 | $1,824,947 |
| 8 | San Marino, CA | 12,216 | $214,167 | $2,837,216 |
| 9 | Laguna Beach, CA | 22,710 | $143,843 | $2,949,835 |
| 10 | Yorba Linda, CA | 67,170 | $157,582 | $1,419,512 |
| 11 | Aliso Viejo, CA | 51,113 | $142,439 | $1,012,225 |
| 12 | Eastvale, CA | 70,633 | $160,069 | $949,255 |
| 13 | Mission Viejo, CA | 92,151 | $136,123 | $1,229,743 |
| 14 | La Habra Heights, CA | 5,478 | $179,583 | $1,399,870 |
| 15 | San Clemente, CA | 63,273 | $140,062 | $1,721,005 |
| 16 | Rolling Hills Estates, CA | 8,131 | $191,895 | $1,901,413 |
| 17 | Cerritos, CA | 47,867 | $135,439 | $1,094,900 |
| 18 | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 46,990 | $152,560 | $1,029,345 |
| 19 | El Cerrito, CA | 25,994 | $127,876 | $1,142,478 |
| 20 | Laguna Niguel, CA | 64,139 | $140,452 | $1,499,545 |
| 21 | Brea, CA | 47,469 | $131,129 | $1,140,405 |
| 22 | Cypress, CA | 49,498 | $130,215 | $1,085,691 |
| 23 | Huntington Beach, CA | 195,240 | $120,919 | $1,366,657 |
| 24 | Lake Forest, CA | 86,281 | $135,175 | $1,208,686 |
| 25 | Claremont, CA | 36,595 | $125,647 | $1,039,337 |
| 26 | La Mirada, CA | 47,180 | $109,288 | $887,478 |
| 27 | Fountain Valley, CA | 56,258 | $115,237 | $1,394,237 |
| 28 | Walnut, CA | 27,611 | $129,449 | $1,197,951 |
| 29 | Laguna Hills, CA | 30,740 | $128,851 | $1,243,180 |
| 30 | Torrance, CA | 142,130 | $116,217 | $1,124,931 |
| 31 | Lakewood, CA | 79,850 | $119,177 | $882,501 |
| 32 | Arcadia, CA | 55,170 | $113,516 | $1,414,450 |
| 33 | Irvine, CA | 311,690 | $136,719 | $1,557,981 |
| 34 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 35,095 | $129,457 | $1,342,010 |
| 35 | Placentia, CA | 52,826 | $115,929 | $1,117,227 |
| 36 | Diamond Bar, CA | 53,355 | $108,281 | $1,028,880 |
| 37 | Orange, CA | 138,266 | $117,113 | $1,143,787 |
| 38 | Seal Beach, CA | 24,722 | $85,964 | $848,898 |
| 39 | Costa Mesa, CA | 110,330 | $111,505 | $1,413,322 |
| 40 | Tustin, CA | 78,981 | $112,503 | $1,189,730 |
| 41 | Norco, CA | 25,054 | $127,566 | $918,950 |
| 42 | Glendora, CA | 50,926 | $113,569 | $893,349 |
| 43 | La Verne, CA | 30,600 | $103,761 | $951,547 |
| 44 | Signal Hill, CA | 11,468 | $113,298 | $708,078 |
| 45 | San Dimas, CA | 33,789 | $105,321 | $927,055 |
| 46 | Buena Park, CA | 82,871 | $110,550 | $940,506 |
| 47 | Lomita, CA | 20,225 | $93,810 | $921,950 |
| 48 | Alhambra, CA | 81,022 | $88,024 | $937,892 |
| 49 | San Gabriel, CA | 38,392 | $90,488 | $1,121,300 |
| 50 | Chino Hills, CA | 77,927 | $126,334 | $996,262 |
| 51 | Upland, CA | 79,257 | $105,830 | $825,788 |
| 52 | Whittier, CA | 86,165 | $97,201 | $821,843 |
| 53 | Downey, CA | 110,939 | $90,699 | $888,710 |
| 54 | Duarte, CA | 22,184 | $105,483 | $801,444 |
| 55 | Fullerton, CA | 140,968 | $104,286 | $1,050,944 |
| 56 | Los Alamitos, CA | 11,794 | $97,155 | $1,583,957 |
| 57 | La Habra, CA | 61,970 | $100,106 | $911,595 |
| 58 | Monterey Park, CA | 59,132 | $81,855 | $934,098 |
| 59 | West Covina, CA | 107,037 | $101,065 | $852,372 |
| 60 | Corona, CA | 159,670 | $109,242 | $764,386 |
| 61 | Covina, CA | 49,888 | $98,671 | $804,340 |
| 62 | Garden Grove, CA | 170,964 | $92,174 | $1,013,182 |
| 63 | Norwalk, CA | 99,789 | $100,085 | $763,282 |
| 64 | Temple, CA | 5,901 | $91,180 | $284,500 |
| 65 | Pico Rivera, CA | 60,272 | $88,201 | $753,243 |
| 66 | Artesia, CA | 15,889 | $101,004 | $878,198 |
| 67 | Carson, CA | 92,871 | $108,703 | $799,421 |
| 68 | Anaheim, CA | 344,521 | $95,227 | $950,503 |
| 69 | Gardena, CA | 59,422 | $84,803 | $792,921 |
| 70 | Westminster, CA | 89,860 | $85,541 | $1,097,353 |
| 71 | Laguna Woods, CA | 17,289 | $59,269 | $471,410 |
| 72 | Chino, CA | 92,652 | $104,682 | $761,425 |
| 73 | Rosemead, CA | 50,013 | $73,566 | $913,339 |
| 74 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 18,871 | $88,238 | $783,369 |
| 75 | Long Beach, CA | 455,548 | $87,430 | $857,860 |
| 76 | Bellflower, CA | 76,819 | $78,722 | $801,999 |
| 77 | La Puente, CA | 37,142 | $86,602 | $723,134 |
| 78 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 13,691 | $76,341 | $647,288 |
| 79 | Stanton, CA | 39,402 | $84,707 | $793,737 |
| 80 | Baldwin Park, CA | 70,138 | $80,663 | $722,511 |
| 81 | Hawthorne, CA | 85,191 | $75,848 | $883,585 |
| 82 | Montebello, CA | 61,045 | $79,971 | $827,434 |
| 83 | Azusa, CA | 49,031 | $90,721 | $715,154 |
| 84 | Lawndale, CA | 30,781 | $85,441 | $777,393 |
| 85 | Paramount, CA | 52,050 | $75,250 | $648,286 |
| 86 | Midway, CA | 3,511 | $63,381 | $248,338 |
| 87 | El Monte, CA | 106,109 | $68,030 | $765,444 |
| 88 | Commerce, CA | 11,993 | $77,064 | $696,479 |
| 89 | Ontario, CA | 180,547 | $88,941 | $672,742 |
| 90 | South Gate, CA | 91,483 | $74,571 | $700,783 |
| 91 | Bell Gardens, CA | 38,229 | $62,298 | $690,423 |
| 92 | Pomona, CA | 147,943 | $79,479 | $690,985 |
| 93 | Montclair, CA | 37,810 | $77,659 | $660,566 |
| 94 | Bell, CA | 32,476 | $61,020 | $688,069 |
| 95 | Lynwood, CA | 64,578 | $74,844 | $688,935 |
| 96 | Compton, CA | 92,698 | $78,465 | $637,960 |
| 97 | Maywood, CA | 24,317 | $60,943 | $652,495 |
| 98 | Huntington Park, CA | 53,108 | $59,996 | $675,536 |
| 99 | South El Monte, CA | 19,287 | $72,990 | $762,159 |
| 100 | Cudahy, CA | 22,087 | $56,615 | $680,366 |