Live-In Caregivers in Santa Ana, CA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Ana, CA: the local picture

4,676

residents 85 or older (1.5% of all residents)

10,474

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (64%)

46%

of Santa Ana homes have 3 or more bedrooms (57% in Orange County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 4,676 Santa Ana residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 46% of homes in Santa Ana have three or more bedrooms (57% in Orange County), while 23% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.4 rooms.

Of Santa Ana households headed by someone 65 or older, 10,474 own their home and 5,839 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 1,091 owners and 913 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Santa Ana compared with Orange County and California

Census figure	Santa Ana	Orange County	California
Residents 85 or older	1.5%	2.2%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	13%	20%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	31%	29%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	10%	12%
Residents 65 or older	11%	16%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	78%	46%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$69,900	$84,615	—

Older residents in towns around Santa Ana

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Orange, CA	3.7 mi	21,180	2,487
Tustin, CA	4.2 mi	10,353	1,155
Fountain Valley, CA	4.3 mi	11,640	1,680
Costa Mesa, CA	5.2 mi	14,577	1,993
Garden Grove, CA	5.3 mi	26,708	3,599
North Tustin, CA	5.4 mi	5,775	867

Emergency hospitals near Santa Ana

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Coastal Communities Hospital	Santa Ana, CA	1.7 mi	1 of 5	(714) 754-5454
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center	Garden Grove, CA	3.4 mi	2 of 5	(714) 537-5160
Providence St. Joseph Hospital	Orange, CA	3.5 mi	4 of 5	(714) 633-9111

Straight-line miles from the center of Santa Ana. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Santa Ana

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (63% of the $5,825 monthly median income of Santa Ana households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (211% of the $5,825 monthly median income of Santa Ana households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Ana: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Santa Ana?

Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana, about 1.7 mi in a straight line from the center of Santa Ana (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (714) 754-5454. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Santa Ana?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (63% of the $5,825 monthly median income of Santa Ana households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (211% of the $5,825 monthly median income of Santa Ana households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Santa Ana?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Santa Ana it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Santa Ana

More senior care near Santa Ana

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Santa Ana

More for Santa Ana families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Ana, CA