As a suburb of San Diego, Santee enjoys an overall favorable reputation even if it's not the most exciting place in the area. This is definitely a great place for a family who wants some space to breathe while still having the option to check out the opportunities the nearby city has to offer. You'll find all of the basic amenities of any suburb, so there's plenty of convenience and benefits in this area. Movoto is happy to give you an idea of what it's like to live in this neighborhood.
With about 50,000 people living in this neighborhood and half the land in the city being classified as undeveloped, there is a lot of room for growth. You'll generally find single family homes available, though increasing demand may see more townhouses or condos in the future. The average square footage is about 1,500 for the available homes on the market, and the median home price is $450,000 or so. Home prices have either increased or held steady over the past year. There aren't very many homes for sale here at any given time, mainly because the population is fairly stable here with a smaller selection of homes to begin with. Average age is 36.3 years old, and about 86 percent of the community is White with 6 percent percent identifying as Mixed Race, 4 percent Asian and 1 percent African American. Of the more than 53,000 people living here, about 52 percent are female.
Santee has a good mix of people here, and the dynamics can promote better relations within a community. Find diversity in terms of the income levels, career paths and lifestyle choices that keeps conversations among locals fresh and can encourage more cross-mingling between people. About 37% of the population makes over $75,000 a year so there will be more affluent parts of the community, but there's still a working class population with about 20 percent of people in either the manufacturing or construction industries. You'll also find those in retail, finance, education and health as common professions. There's an equal distribution of around 20 percent apiece for married couples with kids, married couples without kids, 1-person households and non-family households. The choices of the people do not devalue their place in the community — young professionals can be just as influential as parents in terms of creating change here. The main focus appears to be on making improvements within the community for the sake of everyone who may come into contact with the small city.
Generally, the quality is fairly good, but you'll definitely have certain streets that are faring better than others. A good phrase for this area might be 'actively climbing.' The recent attention it's received is tied into the proximity to San Diego which employs plenty of the people living here and houses the students who are fine with a slight commute. The average commute time is about 24.3 minutes. The local government aims to promote trust within community so residents can rely on services, and lead healthier lifestyles. They pride themselves on having the land and the options that come with it, but by no means want to crowd its residents. While there may be demand for more housing in the future, it does not look like Santee wants to compromise resident's privacy or limit movement within the town.
You may also find yourself reconnecting with the outdoors, considering San Diego's temperate climate (average temperature is in the 70's all year long) and amazing hiking trails. With countless options in the nearby mountains and Santee Lakes' bike path, you might find yourself feeling healthier than you have in years. Children especially will have a lot to explore and plenty of places to get away from TV and video games that make for a more sedentary lifestyle. You should be aware that the air quality is greatly affected by the city cars and overall pollution of California, but the air in Santee is either on par or much better than other parts of Southern California. The schools here are generally considered good and have seen improvements with the rising income levels, however it is not the number 1 system in this area. Overall, you can expect to see a bright future for this community based on its ideals and values.
Santee is probably best known for the open lay out of the town. While it may have been known for some lower class areas in the past, it's consistently ranked as one of the best places near San Diego to raise a family. If you were recently offered a position in the city and are looking for somewhere where you feel like you can be a part of a community, then Santee is a good area to check out. In fact, many of the San Diego suburbs have seen improvements in the recent past, which both promote growth in the real estate market as well as a higher quality of life.
