Similar totals, different recorded patterns in Anaheim and Santa Ana
Anaheim and Santa Ana had similar reported crash totals in the June 30, 2025 to June 29, 2026 window: 4,764 records in Anaheim and 4,544 in Santa Ana, a difference of 4.8%.
Anaheim’s hit-run share was 7.4% compared with 3.1% in Santa Ana, while its serious-or-fatal crash share was 2.2% compared with 1.6%, showing why nearby city totals should not be treated as interchangeable market or safety profiles.
- Reporting window
- June 30, 2025 to June 29, 2026
- Published
- June 30, 2026
- Source
- CHP California Crash Reporting System public records
Why this deserves a closer look
Two cities can produce nearly the same number of records while the composition of those records differs. That makes the comparison more useful for local reporting and follow-up analysis than a simple ranking by raw volume.
Anaheim recorded 220 more crashes
7.4% Anaheim versus 3.1% Santa Ana
2.2% Anaheim versus 1.6% Santa Ana
Anaheim / Santa Ana records with coordinates
The comparison behind the finding
| Measure | Anaheim | Santa Ana | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported crashes | 4,764 | 4,544 | Anaheim recorded 220 more crashes |
| Serious or fatal crashes | 106 (2.2%) | 71 (1.6%) | Crash-level severity bucket |
| Hit-run crash flags | 352 (7.4%) | 139 (3.1%) | Anaheim’s recorded share was 2.42× Santa Ana’s |
| Vulnerable/motorcycle flags | 386 (8.1%) | 444 (9.8%) | Santa Ana’s recorded share was higher |
| Reported injured | 3,211 | 2,485 | People reported injured, not unique claims or cases |
| Reported killed | 23 | 16 | Source-reported totals |
| Mappable records | 3,750 (78.7%) | 4,039 (88.9%) | Map coverage differs materially |
Map data
These read-only maps carry the reporting window, coordinate coverage, source link, and methodology. High-volume views are display-limited and state the number of points shown.
Methodology note
- The comparison uses city labels in the project’s normalized crash mart for the latest 365-day period available when prepared.
- Serious or fatal share divides crash records in the serious or fatal severity bucket by all crash records for that city.
- Hit-run share divides crash records carrying at least one hit-run party flag by all crash records for that city.
- Percentages use total records, including records without coordinates. The map can show only records with mappable coordinates.
Limitations
- These are record shares, not population-, registration-, roadway-, or travel-adjusted risk rates.
- City labels in source records may not perfectly reproduce municipal boundaries or agency jurisdiction.
- Anaheim and Santa Ana have different coordinate coverage, so visual map density is not directly comparable without the coverage figures.
- Officer-coded severity and hit-run fields are reporting attributes, not legal findings.
- Public records may be revised after publication.
Suggested citation
The Crash Data Project. “Similar totals, different recorded patterns in Anaheim and Santa Ana.” Published June 30, 2026. Analysis of California Highway Patrol California Crash Reporting System public records, June 30, 2025–June 29, 2026. https://crashes.meruai.co/reports/orange-county-anaheim-santa-ana
- Press and methodology contact
- contact@meruai.co
- Start an inquiry