Upvote:3
The US government insists that the ESTA is not a visa. This is disputed by some in that it matches a lot of the characteristics of a visa, however, it differs in some important ways for you:
There will be none of the assessment that you are used to for a visa. The ESTA checks are basically automated checks to make sure that you are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.
You can see the full rules on the CBP website here, but to quickly summarzie:
They don't care or assess if you have a job, nor is any assessment made on your home address. There are only automated checks done on these things.
Note that when you attempt to enter the USA, then the CBP officer at the border can probe further in to your circumstances - but the ESTA you can expect to apply for and receive within minutes, regardless of circumstances.
See this Question and Answer for more info on the VWP and ESTA.