What to Know Before Moving to Santa Ana

History

Santa Ana was first known to be inhabited by the Tongva and Juaneno/Luiseno tribes. However, by the late 1700s, Santa Ana was part of an enormous Spanish land grant that focused on farming and ranching. In 1869, the city was founded by William Spurgeon who laid out a 24 square-block village on 74 acres. Because of great weather, opportunity, and the newly built Southern Pacific Railroad, the town boomed to 2,000 people by 1886. Another population boom happened after WWII when industry came to Santa Ana, but by the 1960s, neighborhoods and businesses fell into decline. In the 1980s, city leaders started working on restoring Santa Ana’s image with revitalization and redevelopment to lure in new industries and retailers. The downtown MainPlace shopping center alone created 2,000 jobs and significantly increased the city’s revenue. Take the Historic District Tour to see the many beautifully restored buildings that grace the town. 

Things to Do

From exploring Santa Ana’s history to getting your hands on cutting-edge science experiments, you’ll find all kinds of things to see and do in Santa Ana. Museums include the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum, The Kellogg House at Heritage Museum of Orange County, the Old Orange County Courthouse, and the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art and Bowers Kidseum. Step back into the future at the Discovery Cube with over 120 hands-on STEM exhibits, and for current entertainment, check out Observatory Theater where you can hear live music of many genres, attend performances at The OC Pavilion Performing Arts Theater, and visit the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park.

Santa Ana’s Monthly and Annual Events

On the first Saturday of every month, people come from all over So Cal to explore over 150 artists’ booths at the Artists Village Art Walk in the heart of downtown. Kwanzaa and Las Posadas Mexican Christmas Programs are presented by the Bowers Museum every December. The Floral Park neighborhood hosts the Floral Park Home and Garden Tour every April. Discovery Cube sponsors Bubblefest every spring. And every October you can attend Boo and the Zoo and the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society’s Annual Historical Cemetery Tour.

Economy and Job Market

Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County, maintains a low unemployment rate and is home to both small locally-owned businesses and regional and corporate headquarters of many large companies. The top employers include the County of Orange, Ingram Micro, Rancho Santiago Community College District, United States Postal Service, and Tenet Healthcare. 

Demographics

Santa Ana is a strong and thriving community made up of 77% Hispanic; 11% Asian; 9% White; 2% Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Native American, or two or more races; and 1% African American residents. The city has a much younger population than most cities in the country. The median age is 29.7 whereas the median age in the U.S. is 37.4. At 12,225 people per square mile, Santa Ana is one of the nation’s most population-dense cities. The average density of the nation’s metropolitan areas is 283 people per square mile.