Thinking of moving to Santa Ana, California? Here’s what you need to know.

Not all life in Orange County is what you may have seen on The O.C. Santa Ana, for instance, is less of a beach community but offers nearly everything else. The county’s largest city is situated alongside the beautiful Santa Ana River, as opposed to the Pacific—but if you’re looking to dig your toes into the sand, it’s only a quick drive to both Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Its museums, diverse neighborhoods, historic districts, parks and culture make this the top O.C. city for more than 333,000 residents.

Who’s There?

Santa Ana is diverse, with large Hispanic and Asian populations. With all of this diversity comes great food, art and cultural integration. The city’s planning services have kicked up community initiatives over the last few decades, leading to well-maintained roads, tree-lined streets and a burgeoning downtown district full of young professionals.

What’s Around?

Santa Ana is relatively flat, though it’s also a large city that covers a lot of ground. Much of downtown and its individual neighborhoods are walking- and bike-friendly, but you’ll most likely need a car to visit nearby cities via the many freeways crisscrossing the region. Partial to riding the rails? You can catch Amtrak or Pacific Surfliner trains, or the Orange County Line commuter rail. There are also multiple bus lines available throughout the city.

What Do You Do?

Make sure to spend time in The Santa Ana Artist’s Village and its shops, multiple fine art galleries, restaurants and theatres. Discovery Cube, the city’s science museum, offers more than 120 hands-on exhibits, and there are a number of other museums to visit throughout the city, from The Dr. Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum to the Bowers Museum of Cultural Arts. There are plenty of ways to expand your mind in Santa Ana, not to mention your stomach—stop by its craft breweries and beer festivals, or taste your way through hundreds of dining spots and food festivals, not to mention an exciting new gourmet food hall downtown.

Nineteen01

3400 South Main Street

Park on First

The Aspens Fairhaven

The Arbors Santa Ana

The Aspens South Coast

Peartree Apartments

Waterstone Park Apartments

Courtyards At South Coast

Sunset Ridge

PRISMA

Casa Pacifica Senior Apartment Homes

Broadstone Arden

Broadstone Archive

Paloma

South Coast Racquet Club

Vita Apartment Homes

Versailles on the Lake Apartments

Broadstone Atlas

Fairhaven

521 N. Tustin Ave

Pinnacle at MacArthur Place

Horizon

1105 N. Flower St.

1345 Cabrillo Park Dr #N10

9 Macarthur Pl #N604

1604-1608 Parton Street

California Palms Apartments

Reserve at South Coast

Per capita income

Population density

Median household income

Total population

Median age

Square miles

Percent renters

Median rent

Median rent, monthly change