Average Rent in Santa Ana, CA↑ Rents rising 4.3% YoY🔺 6th priciest in CA

Santa Ana, CA has rental prices ranging from $2,352/month to $4,693/month in 2025, depending on unit size. The typical 1-bedroom apartment rents for $2,454/month — 75% above the national average of $1,400/month. With a median household income of $93,525/year, spending $2,454/month on a 1-bedroom represents 31% of gross income — at the boundary of affordability.

How Santa Ana Compares

With an average 2-bedroom rent of $2,903/month, Santa Ana ranks #6 most expensive of the 51 cities tracked in California — pricier than 100% of all US cities in our data.

The Santa Ana Rental Market

The Santa Ana, CA area has a population of about 13,012,469 and 51% of households renting rather than owning. That renter share runs above the US average of ~34%, pointing to a competitive rental market where vacancies clear quickly and rents are less negotiable.

Rent Trends

2-bedroom rents in Santa Ana, CA have risen by $120/month (4.3%) over the past year, from $2,783 to $2,903. This modest growth is consistent with broader inflationary trends seen across US rental markets.

Affordability

To afford a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Ana, CA without exceeding the 30% housing cost guideline, a renter needs an annual income of approximately $98,160. The local median household income of $93,525 falls $4,635 short of that threshold, meaning many residents in Santa Ana are housing cost-burdened by conventional measures.

Rent vs. Buy

The median home value in Santa Ana, CA is $869,908, giving a price-to-rent ratio of 25.0. With a break-even horizon of approximately 25 years, renting is likely the more financially prudent option for most residents unless they plan to stay long-term.

Neighborhoods

Home values — and by extension rent levels — vary significantly across Santa Ana's neighborhoods. Among the highest-value areas are Downtown ($346,769 median home value), Lyon Street ($412,720 median home value), Cornerstone Village ($519,265 median home value). Rental prices typically follow home value patterns, with premium neighborhoods commanding higher rents than outer areas. Renters on a tighter budget may find better value in less central neighborhoods or in adjacent metros with lower overall rent levels.

Is Santa Ana, CA Affordable?

Income needed to rent or buy, price history, and how this city compares to nearby metros.

Rent or Buy in Santa Ana?

Break-even analysis and mortgage estimates based on local market data.

Living in Santa Ana

Cost of living, job market, crime rates, and moving cost estimates.