Santa Ana, California Population 2024

306,457

Santa Ana is a city located in Orange County California. Santa Ana has a 2024 population of 306,457. It is also the county seat of Orange County. Santa Ana is currently declining at a rate of -0.28% annually and its population has decreased by -1.12% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 309,921 in 2020.

The average household income in Santa Ana is $104,106 with a poverty rate of 11.51%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Santa Ana is 33.4 years, 32.8 years for males, and 34.1 years for females.

Santa Ana is a city located in the state of California. More specifically, it is located in Orange County, where it serves as the county seat. Santa Ana is also one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, and it has also been ranked as one of the safest cities in the US.

Santa Ana Population Statistics

Over 21% of the population falls below the federal poverty line. Over 161,000 residents are part of the civilian labor force. As previously mentioned, the city is home to the corporate and regional headquarters of many large companies. However, the county is the top employer, giving jobs to over 15,000 people. Ingram Micro, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Tenet Healthcare and the US Postal Service are other top employers in the city.

Santa Ana Population Growth

Santa Ana throughout most of its history has seen population growth. Significant growth was recorded between the censuses taken in 1950 and 1960, with the population growth over 120% to reach just over 100,000. In 1980, the population had more than doubled. In 2000, the city had more than 300,000 residents.

The census changes noted between 2000 and 2010 showed a loss of 4% of the population – the first and only time the population has dropped since the census of 1880. However, current numbers show that the population is once again on the rise, growing 3% since the last census in 2010.

The area that is now known as Santa Ana was first known to be inhabited by the Tongva and Juaneno/Luiseno tribes. The area was explored in 1769, at which time it was named Vallejo de Santa Ana. The Mission San Juan Capistrano was established in the area in 1776. Following the Mexican-American War, Americans began settling the area.

In 1869, William Spurgeon claimed a section of land in the area, and Santa Ana was incorporated as a city just seventeen years later in 1886. Just three years later, it was made the county seat of Orange County. In the late 1800s, the California Central Railway created a railroad connecting Los Angeles to San Diego, and Santa Ana served as a major intermediate station. The city continued to grow and expand, with the first auto route from LA to Santa Ana launching in 1935. This road later became the Santa Ana Freeway.

The Santa Ana Army Air Base was built during World War II. After the war, the population continued to grow as war veterans chose to live in the city. Continued development also lured in new inhabitants, including the construction of Fashion Square Mall in 1958, which still operates today under the name Westfield MainPlace. The city in the 1980s also began to revitalize its downtown area – an initiative which is still ongoing today. The Santa Ana Artist’s Village has been developed to bring in professionals and artists within the downtown area’s lofts and businesses.

The city’s economy is bolstered by several major companies, including but not limited to Behr Paint, STEC, Xerox and T-Mobile. The company is also home to the Rickenbacker instrument company. Santa Ana is also home to many small, locally-owned businesses. Nearby attractions including Disneyland and beautiful beaches also bring in tourists and residents.

Santa Ana Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Santa Ana was:

  • Other race: 47.54%
  • White: 25.33%
  • Two or more races: 12.96%
  • Asian: 11.82%
  • Native American: 1.11%
  • Black or African American: 1.08%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.16%
Land Area (mi²)
27.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
11,200.60/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-1.12% (-3,464)
The current population of Santa Ana, California is 306,457 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 309,921.

Santa Ana, California Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Other race148,01747.54%
White78,88025.33%
Two or more races40,35112.96%
Asian36,82011.82%
Native American3,4481.11%
Black or African American3,3501.08%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander5130.16%

Other race

White

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Santa Ana Population by Race

Santa Ana Population Pyramid 2024

Santa Ana Median Age

33.4

Total

32.8

Male

34.1

Female

Santa Ana Adults

There are 236,305 adults, (33,042 of whom are seniors) in Santa Ana.

Santa Ana Age Dependency

53.2

Age Dependency Ratio

16.3

Old Age Dependency Ratio

36.9

Child Dependency Ratio

Santa Ana Sex Ratio

Female150,89148.46%
Male160,48851.54%

Santa Ana Population by Age

Santa Ana Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All77,5533.9644.855.2
Married42,5424.5749.150.9
Non Family14,9651.553664
Female13,3524.554258
Male6,6944.2842.657.4

4.28

Average Family Size

3.96

Average Household Size

44.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Santa Ana Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Santa Ana Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Santa Ana Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.1%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 42.74%.

Santa Ana Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$37,492

Average Earnings

$40,908

Average Male

$33,153

Average Female

Santa Ana Earnings by Educational Attainment

Santa Ana Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Santa Ana Language

21.72% of Santa Ana residents speak only English, while 78.28% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 67.61% of the population.

Santa Ana Language

Santa Ana Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Hispanic237,34126,85511.31%
Other147,25617,78112.07%
Asian36,4704,61212.65%
Multiple39,7123,4028.57%
White27,3322,86810.49%
Black3,18163019.81%
Native3,3942657.81%
Islander50910420.43%

11.51%

Overall Poverty Rate

10.68%

Male Poverty Rate

12.39%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Santa Ana

The race most likely to be in poverty in Santa Ana is Islander, with 20.43% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Santa Ana is Native, with 7.81% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.02%. Among those working part-time, it was 9.94%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.96%.

Santa Ana Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade13.2%
High School10.83%
Some College7.74%
Bachelors or Greater5.56%

Santa Ana Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed21.96%
Male Unemployed19.18%
Female Employed5.42%
Male Employed4.62%

Santa Ana Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Santa Ana Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Santa Ana Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

43.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

44.6%

Male Marriage Rate

42.1%

Female Marriage Rate

Santa Ana Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Santa Ana Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Santa Ana Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Santa Ana Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

4,466

Number of Veterans

4,158

Male Veterans

308

Female Veterans

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Santa Ana Veterans by War

count

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Santa Ana Veterans by Age

count

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Santa Ana Veterans by Race

Santa Ana Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.28%

Veteran Poverty Rate

33.14%

Veteran Disability Rate

Santa Ana Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.7%

Labor Force Participation

63%

Employment Rate

5.5%

Unemployment Rate

Santa Ana Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Santa Ana Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Santa Ana Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

52.04%

Born in Santa Ana

59.1%

Native Born

40.9%

Foreign Born

22.58%

Non Citizen

18.32%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

59.1% of Santa Ana residents were born in the United States, with 52.04% having been born in California. 22.58% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Santa Ana Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029302,127-866-0.29%
2028302,993-866-0.29%
2027303,859-866-0.28%
2026304,725-866-0.28%
2025305,591-866-0.28%
2024306,457-866-0.28%
2023307,323-866-0.28%
2022308,189-582-0.19%
2021308,771-1,150-0.37%
2020309,921-20,989-6.34%
2019330,910-1,714-0.52%
2018332,624-1,281-0.38%
2017333,905-480-0.14%
2016334,385-138-0.04%
2015334,5231,2300.37%
2014333,2931,5020.45%
2013331,7912,0270.61%
2012329,7642,0330.62%
2011327,7312,6620.82%
2010325,06900%
2000337,97744,23515.06%
1990293,74289,71943.97%
1980204,02348,31331.03%
1970155,71055,36055.17%
1960100,35054,817120.39%
195045,53313,61242.64%
194031,9211,5995.27%
193030,32214,83795.82%
192015,4857,05683.71%
19108,4293,49670.87%
19004,9331,30535.97%
18903,6282,917410.27%
1880711-434-37.9%
18701,145-300,982-99.62%
showing: 34 rows

Santa Ana Population by Year