property
Lacy: the affordable suburb outperforming all its neighbours
Median sale prices in the Lacy neighborhood climbed faster than in any adjacent Santa Ana pocket through the first six months of 2026.
How we reported this
Lacy posted a 14 percent median price gain to $612,000 between January and June 2026 while every bordering Santa Ana neighborhood recorded single-digit increases or outright declines.
The surge arrives as mortgage rates eased from 6.8 percent to 6.3 percent in May and as first-time buyers priced out of Costa Mesa and Tustin turned to Santa Ana’s central corridors for entry-level stock. City building permits show 187 single-family renovations approved in Lacy during the same period, the highest total among the city’s 17 census tracts.
Buyers cite proximity to two longstanding local anchors. The Delhi Community Center at 505 East Central Avenue runs after-school programs that keep families in the area, while the newly expanded Lacy Library branch on West 17th Street added 12,000 square feet of meeting space in March. Both facilities sit within a ten-minute walk of the neighborhood’s 1950s ranch houses that now list between $550,000 and $675,000.
Price and sales evidence
CoreLogic data released July 3 recorded 92 closed sales in Lacy through June, up from 71 in the first half of 2025. Average days on market fell to 28, compared with 41 in the adjacent Memorial Park tract and 52 in French Park. The median price per square foot reached $478, still $110 below the citywide Santa Ana average of $588.
Investors have closed 19 cash purchases since January, mostly two- and three-bedroom homes along Lacy Street and Maple Avenue that needed cosmetic work. Those properties resold within 90 days at an average 11 percent markup, according to Multiple Listing Service records.
Next steps for buyers
Local agents recommend checking the city’s first-time homebuyer workshops held the second Tuesday of each month at the Delhi Center. The next session is scheduled for July 14. Participants can review current listings and pre-qualification requirements tied to Santa Ana’s down-payment assistance program before touring properties that remain under the $650,000 threshold.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.