Posted October 22, 2026 | By Eric Engelbert | Updated as projects open.

Santa Ana is adding more new apartments than almost any city in Orange County. Thousands of units have opened since 2016, and thousands more are under construction or approved, from luxury buildings at MainPlace and South Coast Metro to affordable communities along First Street. This is a quick guide to the newest apartment communities in Santa Ana: what is open, what is being built, and what is coming next.

Renting is not the only option, though. At the end, we look at how today's new apartment rents compare with buying a condo or townhome in Santa Ana.

Open and Leasing Now

Community	Location	Apartments	Opened
Paloma at MainPlace	2727 N. MainPlace Dr	309	2023
Bloom (Legacy Partners)	651 Sunflower Ave, South Coast Metro	226	2023
Rafferty (Toll Brothers Apartment Living)	401 N. Main St, downtown	218	2024
Park on First (formerly Elan)	1660 E. First St, by the Santa Ana Zoo	603 in two phases	Open
The Row at Red Hill (Greystar)	2300 S. Red Hill Ave	1,100 planned; first buildings open	2024 and continuing
Nineteen01	E. First St, Metro East	264 (10 affordable)	2016

Bloom advertised rents from about $2,575 when it opened in 2023. Paloma advertised about $2,510 to $3,965 in October 2026. Rents change daily; check each community for current pricing.

Under Construction

Community	Location	Apartments	Expected
The Carina at MainPlace	2828 N. MainPlace Dr	408	Late 2028
Central Pointe	1801 E. Fourth St	644	Broke ground December 2025
Legado at the Met	200 E. First American Way	278	Under construction
2700 Main (office-to-apartment conversion)	2700 N. Main St, next to MainPlace	158 plus ground-floor retail	A vacant 12-story office tower being converted by Core Development Group; financing closed December 2025

Approved or Proposed

Project	Location	Apartments	Status
The Madison	200 N. Cabrillo Park Dr	260 with retail	Entitled; not built
5th and Harbor Mixed-Use	419 and 421 N. Harbor Blvd	79 apartments and 15 townhomes with retail	In city review
4th and Mortimer	409 and 509 E. Fourth St	169	Approved
3rd and Broadway Promenade	201 W. Third St	171 plus a hotel	Approved; on hold
One Broadway Plaza	1109 N. Broadway	About 600 in a 37-story tower	In city review
322 N. Harbor	322 N. Harbor Blvd	22 (4 affordable)	In city review when the Housing Element was adopted
Related Bristol	Former Metro Town Square	3,750 homes	Approved; phased
The Village Santa Ana	South Coast Plaza Village	1,583 homes	Approved; phased

New Affordable Apartments

Several new communities are income-restricted. Applications go through each property's management company, usually by lottery or waitlist.

Community	Location	Apartments	Who It Serves
First Point	2112 E. First St	552	Lower-income households
Metro East Senior Park	2222 E. First St	418	Lower-income seniors; opened 2021
Legacy Square	Santa Ana Blvd, downtown, at a streetcar stop	93	Households under 60% of area median income, including 33 supportive homes; opened 2023
Estrella Springs (formerly North Harbor Village)	1108 N. Harbor Blvd	89 studios	Formerly homeless veterans and residents with disabilities; a converted motel, opened 2024
WISEPlace on Broadway	Broadway, downtown	48	Women and seniors earning up to 30% of area median income, including domestic violence survivors; opened 2025
Westview House	2530 Westminster Ave	85	Extremely low-income and formerly homeless residents
Crossroads at Washington	Washington Ave	86	Permanent supportive housing
The Orchard	Metro East	72	Lower-income households; opened 2018
AMCAL First Street	E. First St, Metro East	69	Households at 60% of area median income; opened 2019
FX Residences	801 to 809 E. Santa Ana Blvd	17	Households under 30% of area median income; under construction in 2024
Innovative Housing Opportunities	2021 E. Fourth St and Golden Circle Dr	160	Affordable; in city review

Sources: City of Santa Ana 2021-2029 Housing Element and city project pages. For affordable housing applications, contact the City of Santa Ana Housing Division or each property directly.

Why So Many Apartments?

Santa Ana's state-certified 2021-2029 Housing Element requires the city to plan for 3,137 new homes. Most of the city is built out, so the plan relies on turning older malls, office parks, and shopping centers into housing through areas like the MainPlace Specific Plan, the Metro East overlay along First and Fourth Streets, the Harbor corridor, and downtown's Transit Zoning Code. Apartments are the most common result, because large rental buildings are easier to finance on expensive infill land than for-sale homes.

Renting vs. Buying in Santa Ana

New apartments in Santa Ana commonly advertise about $2,500 for a studio and $3,500 to $4,000 or more for a two-bedroom. Depending on your down payment, interest rate, and HOA, a monthly payment on a Santa Ana condo or townhome can land in a similar range, and you build equity instead of paying rent. Condos and townhomes in downtown's 92701 zip code listed at an average of about $450,000 over the past year, and new townhomes are selling now from the mid $800,000s. Some new communities also set aside homes for moderate-income buyers at restricted prices.

If you are paying top-of-market rent, it is worth comparing. Start here: