Median rent is 10% lower in Santa Ana ($2,082/mo vs $2,322/mo). Buying is cheaper in Santa Ana, where the median home runs $713,000 versus $895,000. Households earn more in Arlington ($142,114 vs $93,999 a year).
City A
Arlington, VA
City B
Santa Ana, CA
How much would you need to earn in Santa Ana, CA to maintain your standard of living from Arlington, VA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Arlington
Virginia
Santa Ana
California
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Santa Ana at $2,082/mo compared to $2,322/mo in Arlington (10% gap). Median home values are within 20% of each other: $895,000 in Arlington and $713,000 in Santa Ana.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Arlington
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Santa Ana
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Arlington (avg AQI 24.0) but not yet for Santa Ana.
Pick Arlington if you prioritize higher median household income ($142,114/yr).
Is Arlington cheaper than Santa Ana?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Arlington vs Santa Ana?
Median rent is $2,322/mo in Arlington, VA and $2,082/mo in Santa Ana, CA. Santa Ana, CA has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Arlington or Santa Ana?
Median household income is $142,114 in Arlington, VA and $93,999 in Santa Ana, CA. Arlington, VA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Arlington or Santa Ana?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Santa Ana to match my Arlington income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
