City comparison
Norwalk, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Santa Ana, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 20 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Norwalk, CA to Santa Ana, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Santa Ana has a population of 311,379, vs 101,893 in Norwalk — about 3.1× larger by population. By land area, Santa Ana covers about 27 sq mi vs 9.7 sq mi for Norwalk.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Norwalk | Santa Ana | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,860/mo | $1,885/mo | 1.3% higher in Santa Ana |
| Median home value | $593,100 | $624,000 | 5.2% higher in Santa Ana |
| Median household income | $91,259 | $84,210 | 8.4% higher in Norwalk |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Norwalk, you'd need $100,051 in Santa Ana to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norwalk and Santa Ana have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Norwalk, you'd need about $80,041 in Santa Ana to keep the same standard of living.