Goleta, CA vs Santa Ana, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Goleta

65.8

#1608 nationally

Santa Ana

63.6

#1759 nationally

Goleta leads in median household income ($113,889 vs $72,458). Goleta leads in average commute (18 min vs 26.8 min). Santa Ana leads in cost of living index (138 vs 192).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Goleta, CA	Santa Ana, CA
WhereAtHome Score	65.8 (#1608)	63.6 (#1759)
Population	32,665	310,227
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$1,364,943	$869,263
Median Household Income	$113,889	$72,458
Average Commute	18 min	26.8 min
Walk Score	44	55
Crime Level	5.6	Moderate
School Rating	N/A	5.4
Cost of Living Index	192	138
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+26.7	D+2.6