City Profile and Best Neighborhoods: Santa Ana

Santa Ana is a popular city in the Greater Los Angeles region and the county seat of Orange County, California. With a population of 310,220 in an area of only 27.37 square miles, it is the 4th densest city in the United States, behind New York City, San Francisco, and Boston. The city is known for its incredible diversity; many different communities reside within Santa Ana, including a large Latino population. The city is a bustling and vibrant cultural hub, and is home to several important city and county administrative buildings. Downtown Santa Ana is the main hotspot and the location of Artist’s Village. Midtown features a variety of tourist and commercial destinations like Bowers Museum, the Discovery Science Center, and MainPlace Mall. In the southern end, the South Coast Metro area borders Costa Mesa.

Economy and City Life

The city’s top employers are Orange County, the Santa Ana Unified School District, and Santa Ana College. A number of corporations are headquartered in Santa Ana, including Behr Paint, Ingram Micro, First American Corporation, Rickenbacker, and Greenwood & Hall. It is also home to the major regional headquarters for Xerox, Ultimate Software, and T-Mobile. Additionally, the Glenn L. Martin Company, which gave way to Lockheed Martin, was founded in the city in 1912. Most major corporate entities are located in Downtown Santa Ana, although the city has approved a number of commercial projects in the South Coast Metro area as well, in order to promote economic growth. In between these areas, the Historic South Main Business District features more small businesses and older retail shops.

One of the major assets of living in Santa Ana is the proximity to freeways and the train station, which makes commuting and transportation fast and easy. Residents can be in nearby commercial areas like Anaheim and Irvine within minutes. The school district is also full of highly rated schools such as Arroyo Elementary, Tustin Memorial Elementary, Foothill High School, and Jim Thrope Fundamental. A number of prestigious private schools are also located within the city, including Mater Dei and Orange County School of the Arts. For these reasons, Santa Ana is a prime city for families and married couples.

Real Estate

This city is becoming a prime spot for real estate investment due to its rapid growth and proximity to other flourishing cities, namely Los Angeles. The median list price for homes in 2022 is $697,500, compared to $625,000 last year. Unsurprisingly, the city is currently a seller’s market, with homes going off the market in about 31 days on average. There are diverse investment opportunities in Santa Ana for a variety of budgets; homes in suburban areas like Park Santiago and Washington Square start at around $350,000, while more luxurious properties in Floral Park and West Floral Park go for upwards of $600,000 to $1M. Santa Ana provides affordable single and multi-family properties as well as a blooming luxury real estate market.

Santa Ana Neighborhoods

In addition to the areas already mentioned, some of the most popular neighborhoods in Santa Ana include: Lacy, French Park, Meredith Parkwood, and French Court. Lacy sits just east of the downtown area and ranks highly for walkability. With many nearby shops as well as high ranking schools, Lacy is a great neighborhood for young professionals and families alike. French Park is north of downtown, and is a small affordable neighborhood still in close proximity to many shops and services. Meredith Parkwood is a prestigious neighborhood in the eastern edge of the city with a variety of parks and green spaces. This neighborhood is a prime spot for families with children, as it has a high safety rating and welcoming environment. French Court is the neighborhood north of French Park, with local schools, grocery stores, restaurants, and more. French Park offers easy access to the highway but isn’t too far from the city center.

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