Anaheim California City Guide

During 1857, 50 German immigrants traveled across California to find new land to develop. Juan Pacifico Ontivero sold the group 1,165 acres in Orange County during the same year, which led to the formation of a new community named Anaheim.

The name “Anaheim” was constructed based on the nearby Santa Ana River and the German “heim,” which translates to “home.” Spanish-speaking inhabitants of neighboring areas referred to Anaheim as Camp Alemán, which in English means “German field.”

The first 50 settlers of Anaheim designated 40 acres of land to build a school and a town center. The Anaheim Gazette, the local newspaper, was founded in 1870, then Anaheim constructed a hotel in 1871.

Between about 1870-1885, Anaheim was California’s biggest wine producer. After a disease spread across the grape vines, the industry declined rapidly and was replaced by orange, lemon, and walnut crops.

Today, Anaheim is a bustling agricultural and commercial city with a population of about 350,000.

An estimated 24% of residents are under 18, while the majority of residents are between 18-44 years old. The remaining 35% of residents are 45 years of age and over.

As for racial diversity, 54% of Anaheim residents are Hispanic, 25% are White, and 16% are Asian. 2% of the population is African American, and 2% are biracial or multiracial.

28% of the population has some college education or an associate’s degree, while 18% have a bachelor’s degree and another 7% have a master’s degree or above.

The median household income is about $65K. The unemployment rate is around 4.5%, and the poverty rate generally trends at 16%.

The younger residents of Anaheim, CA are serviced by 7 total public school districts.

The city has a grand total of 74 public schools within its borders, and 47 of the campuses are primary or elementary schools. 9 Campuses are junior high or middle school campuses, and 14 campuses are high school campuses. Meanwhile, 3 public schools in the city provide alternative education for students. The majority of public schools in Anaheim are highly-rated and well-reviewed.

Some of the top public schools in Anaheim are Woodsboro Elementary School, Bernardo Yorba Middle School, Kraemer Middle School, Esperanza High School, and Valencia High School.

In addition to public schools, Anaheim also has a wide range of private schools available for students. Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly School, Service High School, Acaciawood School, and Orange County Christian School are among the most well-rated and high-quality private schools in the city.

Anaheim Elementary School District includes 25 elementary schools and educates about 17,000 students.

Magnolia School District includes 9 elementary schools, 7 of which are California Gold Ribbon Schools. Meanwhile, Savanna School District has 4 K-6 schools.

Anaheim Union High School District includes 8 junior high schools and 8 high schools. The 3 before-mentioned districts feed into this district.

Centralia School District is a K-6 school system with 8 elementary campuses and 4,500 students.

Orange Unified School District has 29 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 4 high schools.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has 22 elementary schools, 6 middle school campuses, 5 9-12 campuses, and 2 home schools.

As an entertainment mecca and home to high-profile businesses and thriving neighborhoods, Anaheim is among the cities in the U.S. with a cost of living that is higher than the national average.

The cost of living in Anaheim is about 43% higher than the national average, and about two percent higher than the California average.

With a median home value of about $644,000, housing costs in Anaheim are significantly high – about 118% higher than the national average.

One can also expect to pay for transportation expenses that are about 30% higher than the national average. Prices of groceries are about 16% higher than the national average, while the costs of healthcare are about 9% higher than the national average.