Laurel, MD 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.

Laurel

66.4

#1547 nationally

Santa Ana

63.6

#1759 nationally

Laurel leads in median household income ($92,035 vs $72,458). Santa Ana leads in average commute (26.8 min vs 33.5 min). Laurel leads in cost of living index (125 vs 138).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Laurel, MD	Santa Ana, CA
WhereAtHome Score	66.4 (#1547)	63.6 (#1759)
Population	29,400	310,227
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$478,130	$869,263
Median Household Income	$92,035	$72,458
Average Commute	33.5 min	26.8 min
Walk Score	53	55
Crime Level	10.8	Moderate
School Rating	N/A	5.4
Cost of Living Index	125	138
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+13.9	D+2.6