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El Cajon vs Santee

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (20.2× in Santee) and household income (+68% in Santee).

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El Cajon, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 104,449 people
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Santee, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 59,332 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

El CajonOne of the healthiest towns
Health61% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates College town2 collegesGrossmont College Outdoors#271 most walkable in CA3.2 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves All about El Cajon →
SanteeAn outdoors town
Outdoors#40 most trails in CA65 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves Schools#119 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Santee →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails20.2×
Santee has more miles of trail
Santee 64.6 miEl Cajon 3.2 mi
Household income+68%
Households in Santee earn more
Santee $113,394El Cajon $67,511
Homeowners+30.9 pts renters
El Cajon has more renters
Santee 72.4%El Cajon 41.5%
Rent+21%
Rent runs higher in Santee
Santee $2,250El Cajon $1,856
Bachelor’s degree++12 pts
More adults in Santee have a degree
Santee 35%El Cajon 23%
Work from home+5.9 pts
More people work from home in Santee
Santee 17.3%El Cajon 11.4%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Santee places higher on 16 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
CEl CajonSafer than 25% of U.S. towns BSanteeSafer than 58% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−El CajonBetter than 54% of districts in the state B+SanteeBetter than 72% of districts in the state
Health
C+El CajonHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns A−SanteeHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns
6El Cajon
16Santee

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #640#40 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #679#272 SafestSafety · 411 towns #244#65 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #679#329 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #342#119 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #605#278 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #495#198 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #498#231

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of El Cajon’s rankings →

Where they are

El Cajon and Santee share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

El CajonSanteeEl CajonSantee
El Cajon ↔ Santee4.0 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,838 Santee residents work in El Cajon (7% of its workers)
1,380 El Cajon residents work in Santee (3.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Santee →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

El Cajon$4,740/mo
Typical home $817K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $1,856/mo · Housing →
Santee$4,610/mo
Typical home $796K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $2,250/mo · Housing →

The difference: $130 a month, about $1,500 a year, between El Cajon and Santee.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
El CajonSantee
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)72nd86th
Outdoors & history
El CajonSantee
Trails3 mi65 mi
Conserved land2.6%10.7%
Settled—1877
National Register places—1
Archive photos71
Famous people born here332
Community
El CajonSantee
Library hours a week51 hrs45 hrs
Colleges in town21
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

El CajonSantee
People
Population 104,449Highest 59,332Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +12.4%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.1±0.9Lowest 5% below CA 40.3±1Highest 6% above CA
Kids under 18 25.6%±1.5Highest CA: 22% 23.1%±1.6Lowest CA: 22%
El Cajon and Santee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.5%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7% 16.5%±1.2Highest CA: 15.7%
Santee and El Cajon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23%Lowest CA: 37.1% 35%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±0.8Highest CA: 7.6% 6.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6%
El Cajon and Santee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $67,511±$4kLowest 32% below CA $113,394±$6kHighest 14% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $681,700±$18kLowest 7% below CA $727,200±$20kHighest about the CA average
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,856±$27Lowest 9% below CA $2,250±$84Highest 11% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,533Lowest 12% below CA $4,840Highest 6% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 70.1%±4.3Highest CA: 55.3% 64.7%±4.8Lowest CA: 55.3%
El Cajon and Santee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20.5%Highest CA: 12% 7.9%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 41.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 72.4%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 2 yrs older than CA 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 14% below CA 27 minHighest 7% below CA
Work from home 11.4%±1.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 17.3%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 15.3%Highest 7.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miHighest 11.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.90Highest 0.63Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Diego (38%)San Diego (47%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Santee7% work in El Cajon
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 10.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.2 miLowest 64.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 3.9 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 12Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 95.4Highest 73.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #342 of 574 in CA#119 of 574 in CA
School district EJE Middle Academy District · Altus Schools East County DistrictGrossmont Union High · Santee
High school in town Granite Hills HighWest Hills High
Students per teacherat that high school 24.1Highest 23.4Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

El Cajon neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in El Cajon can answer.

Santee neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Santee’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering El Cajon

C
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Casa de Oro-Mount Helix19,765 people · $952K homes
G
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Granite Hills3,795 people · $975K homes
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Bostonia16,765 people · $488K homes
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La Mesa60,797 people · $812K homes

Towns like El Cajon

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Bellflower76,819 people · $706K homes
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Inglewood104,569 people · $793K homes
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El Monte106,109 people · $644K homes
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Downey110,939 people · $797K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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