What it's like to live in Anaheim
Anaheim is a large city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Anaheim deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Anaheim compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Anaheim
Based on Anaheim's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,350
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $87,000 a year
- 58% of Anaheim renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$166,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $83,120
- Homes cost 8.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 54% above US
$2,175/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,175 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $831,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $831,200 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 66% above US
548 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1772/100k · Anaheim Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
5 hospitals
There are 5 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
70 public schools inside the boundary
There are 70 public schools inside the boundary and 24 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (36 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Anaheim's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,175/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Anaheim
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