Modesto, 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.

Modesto

64.2

#1712 nationally

Santa Ana

63.6

#1759 nationally

Santa Ana leads in walk score (55 vs 48). Santa Ana leads in average commute (26.8 min vs 29.4 min). Modesto leads in cost of living index (130 vs 138).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Modesto, CA	Santa Ana, CA
WhereAtHome Score	64.2 (#1712)	63.6 (#1759)
Population	218,915	310,227
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$447,153	$869,263
Median Household Income	$73,375	$72,458
Average Commute	29.4 min	26.8 min
Walk Score	48	55
Crime Level	18.0	Moderate
School Rating	N/A	5.4
Cost of Living Index	130	138
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+11.0	D+2.6