What Locals Know About Anaheim
Think you really know Anaheim? It's a city with theme park crowds that could swallow Rhode Island whole, churros that you'll have to taste to believe, and backyard citrus groves that are outnumbered only by selfie sticks. Let's run through the facts, stats, and mouse-eared madness that make it more than a theme park ZIP code.
Jessica, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jessica is a born and raised Angeleno who has spent 30 years bouncing between East LA, the Westside, and the Valley, usually with a trunk full of boxes and a strong opinion about neighborhoods. She moved eight times between 2013 and 2023 and genuinely loves it, especially the decluttering part and the chance to reinvent herself with each new move. A former teacher of eight years, she has taught everyone from pre K kids learning their ABCs to high schoolers stressing over college essays. She loves California for the beaches, sunshine, hidden lakes, and hikes that feel like they belong in another state entirely. Her guilty pleasure is the Custard Front Drive donut from Donut Friend, she road trips whenever possible, and she is slowly working through a bucket list of every national park. She lives with two bonded cats, Marty the black cat and Jelly the tabby. At Snappy Scout, Jessica edits California guides with deep local instincts built over decades of real CA living.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Anaheim Anaheim?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Anaheim
A-Town, The Big A, Orange County's workhorse
Local reality check
People think it's all Disneyland. Most of it is industrial parks and strip malls.
You're most likely moving from
Los Angeles County, looking for cheaper rent and a parking spot, or Inland Empire, trading super-commutes for slightly shorter commutes
Strangely large concentration of
Convention hotels that somehow always have a youth sports tournament happening
Music scene
House of Blues at Downtown Disney and nostalgia acts at Honda Center
You'll have to see it to believe it
The sheer number of Good Neighbor Hotels pretending they're part of Disney
Unique geography
It’s flat as a pancake, sitting on what used to be massive wine vineyards
Anaheim is home to
Disneyland, the Ducks, the Angels, and thousands of hospitality workers
Known for
Theme parks, sports teams, and being Orange County's working class neighborhood
Fun history fact
Founded in 1857 by German immigrants who named it after the Santa Ana River
Celebrity sightings
Gwen Stefani, Steve Martin, Michelle Pfeiffer (they all grew up here before escaping)
Noteworthy census stat
Over 53% of residents speak a language other than English at home
Most interesting sub-culture within Anaheim
Hardcore Disney Annual Passholders who treat the park like their daily gym
Population
10th largest city in CA, top 55 largest nationwide
Anaheim is roughly the same geographic size as
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A Local Event Worth Experiencing Once
The energy at an Angel’s home game is unmatched. You’ll see the community that lives around and meet folks that have been supporting the team for decades. Plus, tickets and parking are more affordable than other sporting events, so you won’t have to splurge to take the family!
— Jessica Montes
California Local Expert
Ready to See If Anaheim Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Anaheim guide for the bigger picture.