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Santee vs Winter Gardens

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (80.8× in Santee) and jobs per worker (2.4× in Santee).

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Santee, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 59,332 people
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Winter Gardens, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 22,131 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,050 more a month in Santee

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 →
Winter Gardens$3,560/mo
Typical home $609K (Census) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $1,913/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,050 a month, about $12,600 a year, between Santee and Winter Gardens.

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 14 of 20 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.

Where they are

Santee and Winter Gardens share a border

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

SanteeWinter GardensSanteeWinter Gardens
Santee ↔ Winter Gardens3.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
459 Winter Gardens residents work in Santee (4.5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Winter Gardens →
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
SanteeWinter Gardens
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)86th79th
Outdoors & history
SanteeWinter Gardens
Trails65 mi—
Conserved land10.7%—
Settled1877—
National Register places1—
Archive photos1—
Famous people born here2—
Community
SanteeWinter Gardens
Library hours a week45 hrs—
Colleges in town1—
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.

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.

SanteeWinter Gardens
People
Population 59,332Highest 22,131Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +12.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +8.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 40.3±1Highest 6% above CA 38.1±3.1Lowest about the CA average
Santee and Winter Gardens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.1%±1.6Lowest CA: 22% 24.8%±3Highest CA: 22%
Winter Gardens and Santee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.5%±1.2Highest CA: 15.7% 13.6%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35%Highest CA: 37.1% 25.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±0.9Highest CA: 7.6% 6.4%±1.4Lowest CA: 7.6%
Santee and Winter Gardens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $113,394±$6kHighest 14% above CA $97,973±$10kLowest about the CA average
Santee and Winter Gardens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $727,200±$20kHighest about the CA average $608,600±$50kLowest 17% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,250±$84Highest 11% above CA $1,913±$99Lowest 6% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,840Highest 6% below CA $4,425Lowest 14% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.7%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3% 54.5%±8.1Lowest CA: 55.3%
Santee and Winter Gardens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.9%Lowest CA: 12% 9.3%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Highest CA: 55.9% 63.5%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 3 yrs newer than CA 1977Lowest 1 yr newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 7% below CA 26 minLowest 10% below CA
Work from home 17.3%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2% 13.5%±5.5Lowest CA: 17.2%
Santee and Winter Gardens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.9%Highest 2.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 13.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Highest 0.26Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Diego (47%)San Diego (36%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Winter Gardens4% work in Santee
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.7%Highest 3.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 64.6 miHighest 0.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.9 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 73.9Highest 68.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #119 of 574 in CA#411 of 574 in CA
School district Grossmont Union High · SanteeCajon Valley Union · Lakeside Union Elementary
High school in town West Hills HighNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 23.4 —
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.

Winter Gardens neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Winter Gardens’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Santee

Towns like Santee

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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