CensusEasy
CensusEasy
COUNTY

Orange County

California · 3,149,507 residents (2025 est.) · 793 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Los Angeles metro area
The short version

With 3,165,820 people, Orange County is a county in California. The typical home is worth $962,600, having more than tripled since 2000. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. 30% of people here were born outside the United States. Renters pay $2,434 a month at the median. Density works out to 3,993 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $116,289, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 109%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Orange County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share64.6% → 36.9% (−27.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Asian share10.1% → 22.2% (+12.0 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts

Among the 58 counties in California

  • 7th in household income$116,289
  • 8th in share with a bachelor's degree44.1%
  • 7th in home value$962,600
  • 9th in diversity score86.8
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
3,165,820
+11%since 2000
from 2,846,289 in 2000
3,149,507 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,993 / sq mi
+11%since 2000
from 3,590 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.4
+18%since 2000
from 33.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
793 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.3M2.6M2.8M3.0M3.3M19902000201020202024Orange County
20243.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(165,190)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(175,602)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(200,443)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(207,363)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.3%(199,305)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.2%(448,302)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.2%(418,174)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(422,010)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(414,607)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.3%(295,726)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(150,812)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(68,286)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$116,289
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $58,820 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$54,557
+111%since 2000
from $25,826 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
67.9%
+18.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.466
+2%since 2010
from 0.455 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$962,600
+109%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $253,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,434
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $923 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
56.4%
−5.0 ptssince 2000
from 61.4% in 2000
43.6% rent
Vacancy rate
5.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.87 people
−5%since 2009
from 3.01 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
30.7%
−11.3 ptssince 2009
from 42.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
8.3
−2%since 2009
from 8.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.3%(1,458,978)
Black1.5%(42,639)
Hispanic / Latino30.8%(875,579)
Asian13.5%(383,810)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic36.9%(1,168,199)
Black1.5%(47,885)
Hispanic / Latino34.2%(1,082,931)
Asian22.2%(701,672)
Other5.2%(165,133)
Diversity Score
87
+8%since 2009
from 81 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
42
−1%since 2020
from 43 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican28.3%(897,450)
Central American2.3%(72,880)
South American1.4%(43,384)
Salvadoran1.1%(35,144)
Guatemalan0.7%(23,694)
Puerto Rican0.4%(12,691)
Spaniard0.4%(12,460)
Colombian0.4%(11,939)
Peruvian0.3%(10,735)
Cuban0.3%(8,848)
Argentine0.2%(6,525)
Ecuadorian0.2%(5,506)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.2%(5,062)
Honduran0.1%(4,327)
Bolivian0.1%(2,720)
Costa Rican0.1%(2,684)
Venezuelan0.1%(2,570)
Chilean0.1%(2,087)
Panamanian0%(1,385)
Dominican0%(1,164)
Uruguayan0%(791)
Paraguayan0%(139)
Asian origin
Vietnamese7.2%(226,850)
Chinese3.5%(111,743)
Korean3.3%(103,902)
Filipino2.7%(85,690)
Asian Indian2%(62,003)
Japanese1%(31,428)
Taiwanese0.5%(16,193)
Pakistani0.3%(8,905)
Cambodian0.2%(7,837)
Thai0.1%(4,428)
Laotian0.1%(3,248)
Indonesian0.1%(3,071)
+ 12 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0.1%(2,848)
Hmong0.1%(1,659)
Bangladeshi0%(1,496)
Nepalese0%(1,322)
Sri Lankan0%(1,215)
Uzbek0%(1,032)
Burmese0%(650)
Malaysian0%(439)
Mongolian0%(274)
Okinawan0%(55)
Mien0%(53)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(7,294)
Samoan0.2%(5,260)
Chamorro0.1%(2,411)
Tongan0%(1,445)
Fijian0%(1,174)
Guamanian0%(611)
Ancestry
German7.5%(235,950)
English7.3%(231,829)
Irish6%(190,775)
American4.5%(143,091)
Italian3.6%(114,002)
French1.4%(44,038)
Arab1.4%(43,883)
Polish1.3%(42,195)
Scottish1.3%(41,790)
Iranian1.3%(39,737)
Swedish1%(30,640)
Norwegian0.9%(27,199)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.7%(23,724)
Russian0.7%(23,701)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(15,259)
Subsaharan African0.4%(12,183)
Egyptian0.4%(11,833)
Welsh0.4%(11,326)
British0.3%(10,910)
Portuguese0.3%(10,873)
Danish0.3%(10,538)
Greek0.3%(10,269)
Armenian0.3%(9,872)
Hungarian0.3%(8,873)
Lebanese0.3%(8,812)
French Canadian0.3%(8,439)
Ukrainian0.3%(8,016)
Romanian0.2%(7,654)
Canadian0.2%(7,098)
Czech0.2%(7,001)
Austrian0.2%(5,465)
Swiss0.2%(5,264)
Syrian0.2%(5,261)
Croatian0.1%(4,609)
Turkish0.1%(4,580)
Palestinian0.1%(4,375)
Brazilian0.1%(4,042)
Lithuanian0.1%(3,356)
West Indian0.1%(3,204)
Finnish0.1%(3,177)
Slovak0.1%(2,652)
Jordanian0.1%(2,619)
Belgian0.1%(2,226)
Nigerian0.1%(2,147)
Israeli0.1%(2,123)
Serbian0.1%(2,086)
Moroccan0.1%(1,989)
Ethiopian0%(1,536)
Bulgarian0%(1,413)
Iraqi0%(1,341)
Jamaican0%(1,235)
Australian0%(1,156)
Slovene0%(1,036)
Somali0%(873)
Kenyan0%(766)
Latvian0%(659)
Ghanaian0%(645)
Haitian0%(471)
Guyanese0%(442)
Macedonian0%(412)
Barbadian0%(162)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
44.1%
+13.3 ptssince 2000
from 30.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.1%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 79.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.3%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.7 min
+41%since 2000
from 19.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
67.5%
−9.9 ptssince 2009
from 77.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
18.5%
+13.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.6%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.9%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 39.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
30.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.6%
+2.0 ptssince 2012
from 7.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.4%
−10.9 ptssince 2013
from 17.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.0%
+7.3 ptssince 2017
from 87.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 96.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.9%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
53.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 54.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
24.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 26.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.2%(492,707)
Married53%(684,116)
Widowed1.9%(25,085)
Divorced6.9%(88,947)
Women 15+
Never married32.7%(435,590)
Married49.5%(659,697)
Widowed7%(93,718)
Divorced10.9%(144,725)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.4%
−10.9 ptssince 2013
from 17.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 55.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 68.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 33.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.1%(20,155)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.6%(15,322)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.8%(30,308)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.2%(6,315)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(1,487)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 87,155 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Orange County, decade by decade

Orange County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
19902,410,556$110,216$600,73727.8%64.8
20002,846,289$107,150$460,87930.8%77.9
20103,010,232$106,949$874,50736.0%82.5
20203,186,989$114,466$853,03341.2%86.5
20243,165,820$116,289$962,60044.1%86.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Orange County

San Diego County
Pop 3,282,248
King County
Pop 2,344,939
Riverside County
Pop 2,544,916
Kings County
Pop 2,653,963
Places similar to Orange County
Head to head

Compare Orange County to nearby counties

ORANGE COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112−23%
Home value$834,200−13%
Population9,694,934+208%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
San Diego County
Income$106,268−9%
Home value$854,700−11%
Population3,282,248+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797−6%
Home value$822,700−15%
Population830,851−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Riverside County
Income$93,074−20%
Home value$557,300−42%
Population2,544,916−19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Orange County, California?

Orange County, California has about 3,165,820 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Orange County, California?

The typical household in Orange County, California earns about $116,289 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Orange County, California expensive?

In Orange County, California, the median home is worth about $962,600, and the typical rent is about $2,434 a month.

How educated are people in Orange County, California?

About 44.1% of adults age 25 and over in Orange County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Orange County, California?

About 9.5% of people in Orange County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Orange County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Orange County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 755,264 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →