Santa Ana and South Coast, both located in California, offer varying lifestyles and opportunities for residents and visitors. Santa Ana, a bustling, historically rich city in Orange County is smaller, but not to be underestimated. South Coast, encompassing the southern coastline of California, consists of numerous diverse cities, towns, and communities with ample entertainment options and scenic beauty. This comparison will delve into various aspects including crime/safety, weather, cost of living, and more to give you a comprehensive perspective on life in these two areas.
In terms of crime and safety, Santa Ana has a higher crime rate in comparison to the South Coast. Although efforts are taken to reduce crime, it's something that potential residents and tourists should consider. On the other hand, the South Coast boasts lower crime rates, particularly in smaller, more affluent communities.
Cost of Living
Santa Ana has a lower cost of living than the more upscale South Coast communities. Housing expenses, including rents and property prices, are also generally more affordable in Santa Ana. Overall, South Coast's cost of living is higher due to its coastal location, with wealthier neighborhoods like Newport Beach and Laguna Beach significantly driving up the average.
Income Tax
Both Santa Ana and the South Coast follow California's progressive state income tax structure with no additional city-level income taxes. The rate can vary from 1% to 13.3% depending on one's level of income.
Property Tax
While their property tax rates are comparable, the actual tax payment may be higher in South Coast considering the higher property values. Santa Ana's property tax tends to be more affordable due to the relatively lower property values.
Sales Tax
Santa Ana's sales tax is on par with the California state average. On the South Coast, the sales tax can vary and tends to be higher in wealthier areas like Los Angeles and Santa Monica, driven by local surcharges on top of the state base rate.
Income
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Estimated median household income
$80,265
$112,870
Estimated per capita income
$26,691
$68,453
Cost of living index (U.S. average is 100)
88.6
96.8
If you make $50,000 in Santa Ana, you will have to make $54,628 in South Coast to maintain the same standard of living.
Geographical Conditions
Santa Ana is largely flat and urban. South Coast is diverse, incorporating beautiful sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and scenic mountains. This geography accommodates a variety of outdoor recreational activities including hiking, surfing, and kayaking.
Geographical information
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Land area
27.1 sq. miles
101 sq. miles
Population density
11,401 people per sq. mile
2,953.2 people per sq. mile
Relative area comparison
Santa Ana, CA South Coast, CA
Education
Santa Ana hosts many well-regarded public and private schools, and is home to Santa Ana College. South Coast offers numerous excellent school districts, and houses several top universities including UC Irvine and Pepperdine University. Both education systems are noteworthy, but the South Coast has a slight edge due to the concentration of prestigious schools.
Santa Ana's economy is driven by industries like retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. In South Coast, the economy varies by location with tourism, technology, real estate, and entertainment being the leading sectors. South Coast generally offers more job opportunities due to its larger size and diverse economy.
Biggest Employers
In Santa Ana, some of the top employers include County of Orange, Ingram Micro, and Tenet Healthcare. Contrastingly, the South Coast's biggest employers are more diverse, ranging from universities ( UC Irvine), tech companies (Google in Los Angeles) to healthcare companies (Kaiser Permanente) depending on the specific city.
Weather
Both Santa Ana and South Coast have a Mediterranean-type climate with an abundance of sunny days, mild winters and warm summers. Santa Ana is slightly warmer and less humid than the beach cities of the South Coast. Both areas are less frequently affected by seasonal heatwaves compared to other Californian cities.
Weather and climate
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Temperature - Average
65.4°F
62.1°F
Humidity - Average morning or afternoon humidity
69.9%
69.1%
Humidity - Differences between morning and afternoon humidity
26.2%
24.6%
Humidity - Maximum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
78.3%
77%
Humidity - Minimum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
52%
52.4%
Precipitation - Yearly average
13.8 in
13.4 in
Snowfall - Yearly average
0 in
0 in
Clouds - Number of days clear of clouds
26.5%
26.7%
Sunshine amount - Average
78.4%
77.6%
Sunshine amount - Differences during a year
21.9%
20.5%
Sunshine amount - Maximum monthly
84.8%
81.9%
Sunshine amount - Minimum monthly
62.9%
61.4%
Wind speed - Average
5.9 mph
5.5 mph
Average climate in Santa Ana, California
Average climate in South Coast, California
Air pollution
Type
AQI
CO
NO2
OZONE
PB
PM10
PM25
SO2
Year
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
South Coast
Santa Ana
South Coast
2018
124
105
0.34
0.18
14.2
8.6
27.0
34.0
N/A
N/A
27.5
22.7
12.3
7.0
0.7
N/A
2017
129
111
0.35
0.21
13.9
8.4
29.1
34.7
N/A
N/A
26.7
23.0
13.6
11.3
0.5
N/A
2016
107
105
0.35
0.14
12.6
9.6
29.2
33.8
N/A
N/A
24.1
21.9
12.7
9.8
0.2
0.1
2015
128
111
0.32
0.10
13.4
10.5
29.6
32.9
N/A
N/A
25.0
19.4
14.7
10.5
0.2
0.1
2014
127
100
0.29
0.11
13.2
9.8
28.6
31.3
N/A
N/A
26.7
25.4
15.9
11.8
0.4
0.3
2013
123
97
0.34
0.17
13.9
10.6
27.6
30.0
0.003
N/A
28.8
24.5
14.0
10.3
0.3
0.2
2012
115
101
0.31
0.26
12.9
10.1
26.7
29.9
0.004
N/A
27.5
21.5
14.5
10.5
0.1
0.1
2011
118
113
0.31
0.15
14.8
10.2
27.1
30.3
0.006
N/A
27.5
24.0
15.9
10.9
0.7
0.3
2010
107
101
0.34
0.21
14.4
10.9
26.5
30.6
0.011
N/A
23.5
23.3
14.6
11.4
0.6
0.6
2009
133
120
0.35
0.15
16.0
13.0
27.7
31.5
0.010
N/A
24.4
27.3
14.9
12.4
1.1
1.1
2008
138
131
0.38
0.26
17.1
13.2
28.2
32.0
0.010
N/A
30.1
38.8
21.6
9.4
1.1
1.1
2007
121
110
0.36
0.24
17.0
13.7
27.1
30.6
0.012
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
0.8
0.8
2006
120
112
0.40
0.30
17.7
14.8
26.6
30.6
0.007
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.3
1.3
2005
119
109
0.40
0.28
18.2
13.7
28.3
29.9
0.013
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.3
1.3
2004
128
130
0.50
0.29
19.4
15.5
31.2
32.5
0.014
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.6
1.6
2003
139
132
0.64
0.38
22.3
18.2
28.3
31.3
0.029
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.1
1.1
2002
122
129
0.66
0.40
22.3
17.7
25.1
28.4
0.019
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.7
1.6
2001
120
137
0.76
0.52
22.6
18.5
25.1
27.8
0.036
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.5
1.4
2000
127
140
0.80
0.52
25.7
21.2
23.7
24.5
0.028
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1.9
1.9
Natural disasters
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Tornado activity compared to U.S. average
19.1%
17.1%
Earthquake activity compared to U.S. average
6,931.4%
6,728.5%
Natural disasters compared to U.S. average
32%
32%
Transportation
Both areas offer solid transportation systems. Santa Ana has an extensive public bus system and Metrolink service. On the South Coast, you can use the Pacific Coast Highway for scenic coastal drives, and the Metro system in Los Angeles. Both areas suffer from traffic congestion during peak hours.
Transport
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Amtrak stations
1
0
Amtrak stations nearby
3
3
FAA registered aircraft
150
0
FAA registered aircraft manufacturers and dealers
15
0
Means of transportation to work
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Bicycle
0.2%
0.3%
Bus
0.9%
1%
Carpooled
12%
10.5%
Car alone
83.6%
79.2%
Motorcycle
0.1%
0.2%
Railroad
0.1%
0.4%
Walked
1.4%
1.7%
Average travel time to work
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Average
30.4 min
27.9 min
Real Estate
Real estate prices in Santa Ana are typically more affordable than those in South Coast. South Coast has a renowned luxury real estate market, with properties often carrying hefty price tags due to their prime coastal locations, particularly in communities like Malibu and Laguna Beach.
Neighborhoods
Santa Ana neighborhoods are often historic, showcasing beautiful Spanish-style architecture. South Coast commands a vast array of neighborhoods from beachfront communities to mountain enclaves. Depending on one's lifestyle and budget, one can find a fitting neighborhood in both these regions.
Houses and residents
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
Houses
80,604
124,031
Average household size (people)
4.4
2.5
Houses occupied
78,674 (97.6%)
117,093 (94.4%)
Houses occupied by owners
35,317 (44.9%)
81,601 (69.7%)
Houses occupied by renters
43,357 (55.1%)
35,492 (30.3%)
Median rent asked for vacant for-rent units
$1,407
$2,718
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos
$976,981
$1,099,558
Estimated median house or condo value
$623,000
Over $1,000,000
Median number of rooms in apartments
3.9
3.9
Median number of rooms in houses and condos
5.6
5.1
Renting percentage
52.5%
33.8%
Housing density (houses/condos per square mile)
2,969.6
1,227.5
Household income disparities
40.4%
38.1%
Housing units without a mortgage
318 (1.2%)
10,715 (16.4%)
Housing units with both a second mortgage and home equity loan
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business
13,591
17,244
State government workers
3,716
4,403
Unpaid family workers
355
640
Industries and Occupations
Santa Ana's economic lifeblood runs in sectors like healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, with many residents working in these fields. South Coast, with its diverse cities, affords livelihoods in various industries such as tourism, tech, arts, entertainment, and real estate.
Health Care
Santa Ana features good healthcare facilities and services; however, the South Coast boasts superior healthcare due to the presence of multiple top-rated hospitals and medical research centers like UCLA Health and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Infrastructure
Santa Ana boasts an intricate infrastructure with public libraries, parks, hospitals, and a well-developed public transportation system. The urban planning in South Coast varies considerably, with each town and city offering varying infrastructural support. Yet, South Coast holds an advantage due to its advanced high-speed internet coverage, efficient freeways, and numerous public facilities.
Infrastructure
Type
Santa Ana
South Coast
TV stations
2
1
Nuclear power plants nearby
0
2
Culture and Food
Santa Ana is known for its rich cultural diversity, reflected in its assortment of art galleries, theaters, and food options. South Coast culture varies greatly by city, from the beach bum lifestyle in Santa Monica to the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills. From a food perspective, South Coast offers a wider range of culinary experiences.
Sports Teams
While Santa Ana doesn’t host any major sports teams, residents can easily support teams from nearby Los Angeles or Anaheim. The South Coast is home to many beloved sports teams including the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), and the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS).
Santa Ana, CA
South Coast, CA
Santa Ana, CA and 
South Coast, CA : 18.6 miles
