While big cities like Anaheim offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Anaheim. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Anaheim without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Anaheim are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Anaheim area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Anaheim for 2024:
What’s the best suburb of Anaheim? South Pasadena ranks as the best suburb of Anaheim for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of South Pasadena, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Anaheim ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about California:
The 10 Best Anaheim Suburbs To Live For 2024
/10
Population: 26,583
Median Income: $127,882
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on South Pasadena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
South Pasadena is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Anaheim area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome South Pasadena.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $127,882 a year, which is the 16th highest in the Anaheim region. And only 5.19% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,650,214 each.
/10
Population: 93,233
Median Income: $136,570
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on Mission Viejo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Mission Viejo is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Anaheim for 2024.
It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 3.16% of residents lack insurance, good for 9th best.
/10
Population: 5,814
Median Income: $189,306
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 7.2%
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Here in Villa Park, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Anaheim metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Villa Park.
/10
Population: 85,159
Median Income: $149,471
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 7.9%
More on Newport Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Newport Beach ranks as the 4th best suburb of Anaheim for 2024.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Newport Beach and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 5,599
Median Income: $179,990
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.1%
More on La Habra Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Coming in as the fifth best is La Habra Heights.
La Habra Heights gets kudos for having the 13th most expensive homes in the Anaheim area, where houses sell for an average of $1,294,550. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 51,896
Median Income: $131,708
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on Aliso Viejo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Aliso Viejo is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 3.76%.
According to online reports, Aliso Viejo is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Anaheim area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 11,151
Median Income: $128,056
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 6.1%
More on Sierra Madre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Sierra Madre.
Sierra Madre schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 27.3 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 68,035
Median Income: $148,325
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
Poverty Rate: 6.0%
More on Yorba Linda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Yorba Linda is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 3.39% of people lack insurance, good for 13th in the area.
/10
Population: 47,702
Median Income: $150,146
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Rancho Santa Margarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Is ‘Everything Better In Rancho Santa Margarita?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 69,594
Median Income: $151,615
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Eastvale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Eastvale.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Anaheim for 2024
Figuring out the best suburbs around Anaheim was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Anaheim.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 103 suburbs to evaluate around Anaheim.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 103 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Anaheim.” We’re lookin’ at you, South Pasadena.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Anaheim suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Anaheim ‘Burbs of 2024
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Anaheim are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Anaheim but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more California reading, check out:
Table: Best Anaheim Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Pasadena, CA | 26,583 | $127,882 | $1,650,214 |
| 2 | Mission Viejo, CA | 93,233 | $136,570 | $1,077,063 |
| 3 | Villa Park, CA | 5,814 | $189,306 | $2,030,498 |
| 4 | Newport Beach, CA | 85,159 | $149,471 | $3,132,424 |
| 5 | La Habra Heights, CA | 5,599 | $179,990 | $1,294,550 |
| 6 | Aliso Viejo, CA | 51,896 | $131,708 | $915,734 |
| 7 | Sierra Madre, CA | 11,151 | $128,056 | $1,347,845 |
| 8 | Yorba Linda, CA | 68,035 | $148,325 | $1,245,181 |
| 9 | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 47,702 | $150,146 | $938,523 |
| 10 | Eastvale, CA | 69,594 | $151,615 | $884,749 |
| 11 | Dana Point, CA | 33,025 | $119,632 | $1,541,691 |
| 12 | San Marino, CA | 12,442 | $174,253 | $2,524,471 |
| 13 | Cerritos, CA | 49,016 | $124,460 | $1,003,485 |
| 14 | San Clemente, CA | 64,232 | $134,730 | $1,564,490 |
| 15 | La Palma, CA | 15,522 | $113,398 | $1,059,180 |
| 16 | Laguna Beach, CA | 22,943 | $141,875 | $2,817,490 |
| 17 | Laguna Niguel, CA | 64,259 | $135,822 | $1,312,612 |
| 18 | El Cerrito, CA | 25,869 | $120,414 | $1,162,177 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach, CA | 197,481 | $114,747 | $1,206,669 |
| 20 | Walnut, CA | 28,212 | $130,444 | $1,093,688 |
| 21 | Lake Forest, CA | 85,583 | $128,358 | $1,056,345 |
| 22 | Laguna Hills, CA | 31,170 | $122,902 | $1,076,942 |
| 23 | La Mirada, CA | 47,644 | $104,130 | $822,102 |
| 24 | Cypress, CA | 49,955 | $117,461 | $964,692 |
| 25 | Arcadia, CA | 56,181 | $108,214 | $1,326,864 |
| 26 | Fountain Valley, CA | 56,754 | $108,860 | $1,200,770 |
| 27 | Brea, CA | 47,099 | $120,226 | $1,019,390 |
| 28 | Claremont, CA | 36,891 | $115,091 | $926,202 |
| 29 | Lakewood, CA | 81,499 | $113,030 | $814,339 |
| 30 | Placentia, CA | 51,797 | $106,155 | $973,725 |
| 31 | Irvine, CA | 304,527 | $122,948 | $1,331,528 |
| 32 | Diamond Bar, CA | 54,534 | $106,881 | $934,630 |
| 33 | Seal Beach, CA | 25,046 | $75,507 | $900,528 |
| 34 | Norco, CA | 25,328 | $120,636 | $821,192 |
| 35 | Orange, CA | 138,728 | $109,335 | $991,595 |
| 36 | La Verne, CA | 31,239 | $103,816 | $888,737 |
| 37 | Glendora, CA | 52,095 | $106,718 | $836,144 |
| 38 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 174,696 | $105,534 | $736,775 |
| 39 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 35,099 | $123,474 | $1,177,462 |
| 40 | Costa Mesa, CA | 111,490 | $104,981 | $1,211,464 |
| 41 | Chino Hills, CA | 78,223 | $117,548 | $913,774 |
| 42 | Buena Park, CA | 83,542 | $101,586 | $834,048 |
| 43 | Signal Hill, CA | 11,678 | $96,385 | $695,986 |
| 44 | Tustin, CA | 79,514 | $102,065 | $1,015,712 |
| 45 | San Dimas, CA | 34,466 | $102,241 | $863,283 |
| 46 | Alhambra, CA | 82,295 | $80,234 | $883,188 |
| 47 | Whittier, CA | 86,459 | $89,686 | $756,497 |
| 48 | Corona, CA | 158,346 | $103,727 | $721,686 |
| 49 | Upland, CA | 78,847 | $93,994 | $773,135 |
| 50 | Covina, CA | 50,717 | $89,650 | $739,542 |
| 51 | Los Alamitos, CA | 11,728 | $100,987 | $1,427,481 |
| 52 | West Covina, CA | 108,173 | $96,219 | $785,843 |
| 53 | Fullerton, CA | 142,280 | $99,279 | $936,138 |
| 54 | Monrovia, CA | 37,656 | $93,827 | $933,244 |
| 55 | Downey, CA | 113,052 | $84,236 | $809,809 |
| 56 | Monterey Park, CA | 60,386 | $76,892 | $879,700 |
| 57 | San Gabriel, CA | 39,211 | $84,056 | $1,017,443 |
| 58 | Rosemead, CA | 51,043 | $70,073 | $827,126 |
| 59 | Norwalk, CA | 101,893 | $91,259 | $694,399 |
| 60 | Garden Grove, CA | 171,637 | $86,139 | $867,160 |
| 61 | Duarte, CA | 21,686 | $93,908 | $736,339 |
| 62 | La Habra, CA | 62,904 | $93,801 | $802,058 |
| 63 | Temple, CA | 5,395 | $71,917 | $278,708 |
| 64 | Carson, CA | 94,475 | $103,045 | $750,385 |
| 65 | Chino, CA | 91,008 | $99,385 | $711,183 |
| 66 | Artesia, CA | 16,237 | $92,702 | $765,251 |
| 67 | Pico Rivera, CA | 61,561 | $82,539 | $694,218 |
| 68 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 18,840 | $81,500 | $711,899 |
| 69 | Laguna Woods, CA | 17,452 | $56,928 | $409,471 |
| 70 | Santa Ana, CA | 311,379 | $84,210 | $753,174 |
| 71 | Westminster, CA | 90,638 | $80,271 | $952,142 |
| 72 | Long Beach, CA | 462,293 | $78,995 | $799,165 |
| 73 | La Puente, CA | 37,835 | $77,702 | $655,653 |
| 74 | Midway, CA | 3,500 | $58,393 | $252,104 |
| 75 | Grand Terrace, CA | 13,104 | $89,781 | $543,495 |
| 76 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 14,011 | $73,510 | $571,342 |
| 77 | Bellflower, CA | 78,352 | $75,379 | $736,258 |
| 78 | Stanton, CA | 38,271 | $76,123 | $701,971 |
| 79 | Fontana, CA | 209,279 | $93,230 | $592,297 |
| 80 | Azusa, CA | 49,704 | $81,516 | $657,103 |
| 81 | Riverside, CA | 316,076 | $83,448 | $606,630 |
| 82 | Paramount, CA | 53,255 | $67,197 | $599,020 |
| 83 | Montebello, CA | 62,056 | $72,317 | $752,515 |
| 84 | Baldwin Park, CA | 71,692 | $76,002 | $653,339 |
| 85 | Lake Elsinore, CA | 69,993 | $89,788 | $556,993 |
| 86 | Ontario, CA | 176,326 | $78,070 | $627,446 |
| 87 | Pomona, CA | 149,831 | $73,515 | $619,187 |
| 88 | Montclair, CA | 37,842 | $72,789 | $614,701 |
| 89 | El Monte, CA | 108,682 | $59,929 | $705,480 |
| 90 | Lakeland, CA | 114,404 | $58,290 | $292,407 |
| 91 | Maywood, CA | 25,009 | $57,615 | $603,697 |
| 92 | Jurupa Valley, CA | 105,672 | $91,562 | $617,207 |
| 93 | Commerce, CA | 12,253 | $66,071 | $636,672 |
| 94 | South Gate, CA | 92,381 | $67,188 | $635,980 |
| 95 | Bell Gardens, CA | 39,263 | $53,935 | $632,331 |
| 96 | Bell, CA | 33,377 | $56,685 | $634,376 |
| 97 | South El Monte, CA | 19,694 | $67,724 | $697,787 |
| 98 | Lynwood, CA | 66,346 | $67,350 | $624,911 |
| 99 | Rialto, CA | 103,873 | $80,750 | $539,398 |
| 100 | Compton, CA | 94,822 | $69,728 | $584,418 |