CITY · 2000 CENSUS
Costa Mesa
California · 108,724 residents · 15.806 sq mi
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Part of the Los Angeles metro area
The short version
Costa Mesa is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $50,732. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. Median home value is $263,700.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 32.0
US median: 35.2
More educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 22%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024110K
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.1%(7,735)
5 to 97.1%(7,687)
10 to 145.9%(6,370)
15 to 195.9%(6,439)
20 to 248.5%(9,254)
25 to 3421.5%(23,363)
35 to 4417.5%(19,051)
45 to 5411.5%(12,531)
55 to 646.5%(7,112)
65 to 744.6%(4,957)
75 to 842.9%(3,150)
85 and over1%(1,075)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$50,732
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $40,313 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$263,700
−22%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $255,800 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Costa Mesa on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
1990
White, non-Hispanic84.4%(81,371)
Black1.2%(1,178)
Hispanic / Latino19.9%(19,205)
Asian6.5%(6,258)
2000
White, non-Hispanic56.8%(61,778)
Black1.2%(1,313)
Hispanic / Latino31.8%(34,523)
Asian6.8%(7,421)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Mexican28.2%(31,078)
Central American4.6%(5,031)
Salvadoran2.7%(3,019)
Guatemalan1.4%(1,568)
South American1.4%(1,523)
Colombian0.6%(612)
Spaniard0.5%(520)
Argentine0.3%(373)
Honduran0.3%(356)
Puerto Rican0.3%(353)
Cuban0.2%(257)
Ecuadorian0.2%(200)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(198)
Dominican0.2%(166)
Nicaraguan0%(46)
Bolivian0%(34)
Chilean0%(34)
Costa Rican0%(30)
Venezuelan0%(20)
Panamanian0%(12)
Paraguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Vietnamese2.5%(2,739)
Filipino1.7%(1,891)
Chinese1.1%(1,195)
Japanese0.9%(966)
Asian Indian0.8%(837)
Korean0.4%(453)
Cambodian0.2%(175)
Hmong0.1%(110)
Taiwanese0.1%(92)
Bangladeshi0%(52)
Indonesian0%(44)
Thai0%(43)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.5%(602)
Samoan0.3%(351)
Chamorro0.1%(68)
Tongan0%(41)
Guamanian0%(38)
Marshallese0%(29)
Fijian0%(18)
Ancestry
German9.8%(10,785)
English9.4%(10,403)
Irish8.7%(9,600)
Italian5.4%(6,012)
American3.4%(3,780)
Scottish2.4%(2,602)
French1.7%(1,928)
Polish1.7%(1,916)
Swedish1.1%(1,221)
Dutch1%(1,086)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,035)
Norwegian0.8%(879)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.8%(876)
Russian0.8%(843)
Portuguese0.6%(657)
Welsh0.6%(617)
Greek0.5%(502)
Ukrainian0.4%(481)
Swiss0.4%(426)
Danish0.4%(407)
British0.4%(398)
Romanian0.3%(333)
Croatian0.3%(325)
Hungarian0.3%(318)
Iranian0.3%(305)
Czech0.3%(302)
Lebanese0.2%(275)
Subsaharan African0.2%(275)
French Canadian0.2%(267)
Brazilian0.2%(262)
Armenian0.2%(252)
Egyptian0.2%(249)
Canadian0.2%(223)
Syrian0.2%(198)
Austrian0.2%(185)
Lithuanian0.2%(183)
Finnish0.1%(158)
Slovak0.1%(134)
Jordanian0.1%(107)
Turkish0.1%(101)
Belgian0.1%(97)
West Indian0.1%(59)
Bulgarian0%(41)
Slovene0%(31)
Nigerian0%(28)
Serbian0%(27)
Ghanaian0%(23)
Macedonian0%(22)
Jamaican0%(17)
Haitian0%(14)
Australian0%(13)
Israeli0%(12)
Palestinian0%(9)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
79.1%
−4.4 ptssince 1990
from 83.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.8%(18,175)
Married48.2%(21,445)
Widowed1.5%(672)
Divorced9.5%(4,212)
Women 15+
Never married30.4%(12,918)
Married48.9%(20,801)
Widowed7%(2,981)
Divorced13.7%(5,813)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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COSTA MESA VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Costa Mesa, California?
Costa Mesa, California has about 108,724 residents according to the 2000 Census.
What is the median household income in Costa Mesa, California?
The typical household in Costa Mesa, California earns about $50,732 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Costa Mesa, California expensive?
In Costa Mesa, California, the median home is worth about $263,700, and the typical rent is about $956 a month.
How educated are people in Costa Mesa, California?
About 29.1% of adults age 25 and over in Costa Mesa, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Costa Mesa, California?
About 12.6% of people in Costa Mesa, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Costa Mesa, California grown since 1990?
Yes, Costa Mesa, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,367 residents, a change of about 13 percent over that period.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024