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Santee vs La Mirada

93 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (10.4× in Santee) and growth since 2010 (+13.5 pts in Santee).

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Santee, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 59,332 people
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La Mirada, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 47,180 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.

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 →
La MiradaKnown for its schools
Schools#66 for schools in CAof 574 towns Outdoors#109 most walkable in CA6.2 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 81%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about La Mirada →
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.

Trails10.4×
Santee has more miles of trail
Santee 64.6 miLa Mirada 6.2 mi
Growth since 2010+13.5 pts
Santee has grown faster since 2010
Santee +12.4%La Mirada -1.1%
Street grid+74%
La Mirada has the more walkable street grid
La Mirada 128Santee 73.9
Typical home built19 yrs
La Mirada’s homes are older
Santee 1979La Mirada 1960
Average commute5 min
Santee has the shorter commute
La Mirada 32 minSantee 27 min
Home values+14%
Homes cost more in La Mirada
La Mirada $825,900Santee $727,200
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $480 more a month in La Mirada

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.

Santee$4,610/mo
Typical home $796K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $2,250/mo · Housing →
La Mirada$5,090/mo
Typical home $879K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $2,217/mo · Housing →

The difference: $480 a month, about $5,800 a year, between La Mirada 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.

Report cards

Santee places higher on 12 of 22 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
BSanteeSafer than 58% of U.S. towns C+La MiradaSafer than 38% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+SanteeBetter than 72% of districts in the state A−La MiradaBetter than 75% of districts in the state
Health
A−SanteeHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns A−La MiradaHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns
12Santee
10La Mirada

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #680#58 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #137#685 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #40#444 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #339#638 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #401#109 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #208#346 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #329#97 SafestSafety · 411 towns #65#149

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

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
SanteeLa Mirada
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)86th91st
Outdoors & history
SanteeLa Mirada
Trails65 mi6 mi
Conserved land10.7%6.7%
Settled1877—
National Register places11
Archive photos14
Famous people born here232
Community
SanteeLa Mirada
Library hours a week45 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town11
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

Where they are

93 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SanteeCALa MiradaCA
Santee ↔ La Mirada93 miles apart
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.

SanteeLa Mirada
People
Population 59,332Highest 47,180Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +12.4%Highest CA: +6.1% -1.1%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 40.3±1Lowest 6% above CA 42.9±1.3Highest 13% above CA
Kids under 18 23.1%±1.6Highest CA: 22% 18.9%±1.6Lowest CA: 22%
Age 65+ 16.5%±1.2Lowest CA: 15.7% 21.1%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35%Lowest CA: 37.1% 40.9%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6% 11.4%±1Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $113,394±$6kHighest 14% above CA $109,288±$7kLowest 10% above CA
Santee and La Mirada are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $727,200±$20kLowest about the CA average $825,900±$13kHighest 12% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,250±$84Highest 11% above CA $2,217±$225Lowest 9% above CA
Santee and La Mirada are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,840Lowest 6% below CA $5,422Highest 6% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.7%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3% 59.7%±11.3Lowest CA: 55.3%
Santee and La Mirada are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.9%Highest CA: 12% 6.2%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Lowest CA: 55.9% 76.1%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA 1960Lowest 16 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 7% below CA 32 minHighest 11% above CA
Work from home 17.3%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2% 14%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2%
Santee and La Mirada are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.9%Highest 5.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 11.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Lowest 0.92Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Diego (47%)Los Angeles (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in La MiradaFew work in Santee
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.7%Highest 6.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 64.6 miHighest 6.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.9 miHighest 0.8 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 9Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 73.9Lowest 128Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #119 of 574 in CA#66 of 574 in CA
School district Grossmont Union High · SanteeNorwalk-La Mirada Unified
High school in town West Hills HighLa Mirada High
Students per teacherat that high school 23.4Lowest 23.6Highest
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.

Santee neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Santee’s Town Square.

La Mirada neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to La Mirada’s Town Square.

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Bordering Santee

+ Compare
San Diego1,389,526 people · $907K homes
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El Cajon104,449 people · $682K homes
W
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Winter Gardens22,131 people · $609K homes
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Bostonia16,765 people · $488K homes

Towns like Santee

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Lakewood79,850 people · $827K homes
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Glendora50,926 people · $863K homes
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Carson92,871 people · $704K homes
B
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Brentwood65,208 people · $837K homes

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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