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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Orange County

California · 3,186,989 residents · 793 sq mi
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The short version

Orange County is home to 3,186,989 people in California. The typical home is worth $703,800, having more than doubled since 2000. 30% of people here were born outside the United States. Renters pay $1,928 a month at the median. Households take in $94,441 a year at the median, 42% more than the country as a whole. About 41% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 85%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
3,186,989
+12%since 2000
from 2,846,289 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.0
+17%since 2000
from 33.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
793 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.3M2.6M2.8M3.0M3.3M19902000201020202024Orange County
20243.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.9%(156,601)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(179,099)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.4%(203,858)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.9%(218,738)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.1%(226,004)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.8%(439,365)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413%(415,516)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.7%(435,768)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.9%(410,936)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.9%(284,407)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.8%(152,314)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2%(64,383)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$94,441
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $58,820 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,049
+67%since 2000
from $25,826 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
59.9%
+10.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade11.9%
US avg: 10%
Information10.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services8.7%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing3.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$703,800
+85%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $253,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,928
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $923 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
56.1%
−5.3 ptssince 2000
from 61.4% in 2000
43.9% rent
Persons per household
3.01 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 3.01 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
7.5
−12%since 2009
from 8.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic37.6%(1,198,655)
Black1.5%(49,304)
Hispanic / Latino34.1%(1,086,834)
Asian21.9%(699,124)
Other4%(126,437)
Segregation Score
43
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
Mexican28.7%(909,158)
South American1.2%(37,934)
Salvadoran1%(30,536)
Guatemalan0.6%(20,334)
Puerto Rican0.4%(12,581)
Spaniard0.4%(11,781)
Peruvian0.3%(9,072)
Cuban0.3%(9,051)
Colombian0.3%(8,671)
Argentine0.2%(6,581)
Honduran0.1%(4,065)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(3,591)
Ecuadorian0.1%(3,565)
Nicaraguan0.1%(3,441)
Bolivian0.1%(2,811)
Venezuelan0.1%(2,551)
Chilean0.1%(2,241)
Uruguayan0%(959)
Panamanian0%(888)
Dominican0%(760)
Asian origin
Vietnamese6.9%(219,173)
Chinese3.2%(102,688)
Korean3.1%(98,287)
Filipino2.6%(82,438)
Asian Indian1.8%(58,339)
Japanese1.1%(34,497)
Taiwanese0.4%(12,833)
Cambodian0.3%(8,726)
Pakistani0.2%(6,659)
Thai0.1%(4,128)
Laotian0.1%(3,242)
Indonesian0.1%(3,088)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Sri Lankan0.1%(1,961)
Hmong0%(1,375)
Bangladeshi0%(1,285)
Nepalese0%(1,262)
Burmese0%(679)
Mongolian0%(229)
Malaysian0%(185)
Okinawan0%(36)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(7,501)
Samoan0.2%(5,154)
Chamorro0.1%(2,849)
Fijian0%(1,463)
Tongan0%(1,067)
Ancestry
German7.9%(250,841)
English6.4%(204,306)
Irish6.4%(201,599)
American4.5%(142,885)
Italian3.9%(123,506)
French1.7%(54,699)
Polish1.4%(45,507)
Scottish1.3%(40,545)
Swedish1.1%(34,563)
Iranian1%(32,238)
Norwegian1%(31,921)
Dutch1%(30,172)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.9%(28,462)
British0.6%(19,375)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(16,666)
Danish0.4%(14,116)
Welsh0.4%(14,063)
Greek0.4%(12,064)
Hungarian0.4%(11,232)
Subsaharan African0.3%(11,028)
French Canadian0.3%(10,694)
Portuguese0.3%(10,251)
Egyptian0.3%(9,468)
Armenian0.3%(8,919)
Czech0.3%(8,587)
Canadian0.3%(8,132)
Lebanese0.2%(7,812)
Romanian0.2%(7,096)
Swiss0.2%(6,914)
Austrian0.2%(6,368)
Ukrainian0.2%(6,321)
Arab0.1%(4,474)
Croatian0.1%(4,370)
Lithuanian0.1%(4,105)
Turkish0.1%(3,985)
Finnish0.1%(3,535)
West Indian0.1%(3,490)
Syrian0.1%(3,229)
Brazilian0.1%(3,203)
Slovak0.1%(2,961)
Belgian0.1%(2,672)
Jordanian0.1%(2,259)
Palestinian0.1%(2,146)
Serbian0.1%(1,888)
Australian0.1%(1,772)
Israeli0.1%(1,602)
Ethiopian0%(1,543)
Nigerian0%(1,304)
Jamaican0%(1,298)
Moroccan0%(1,024)
Bulgarian0%(965)
Iraqi0%(892)
Slovene0%(874)
Kenyan0%(728)
Latvian0%(616)
Macedonian0%(465)
Ghanaian0%(378)
Haitian0%(350)
Guyanese0%(138)
Barbadian0%(63)
Somali0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
41.2%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 30.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
86.0%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 79.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
14.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.0 min
+48%since 2000
from 19.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 77.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
43.6%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 39.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
29.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.1%
−10.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
96.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
7.1%
−10.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
55.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.1%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
68.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.1%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.1%(18,019)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.2%(15,947)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.9%(36,709)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War11.3%(11,841)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II5.1%(5,315)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 105,193 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
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$90,112−5%
Home value$834,200+19%
Population9,694,934+208%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
San Diego County
Income$106,268+13%
Home value$854,700+21%
Population3,282,248+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+16%
Home value$822,700+17%
Population830,851−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ORANGE COUNTY VS
Riverside County
Income$93,074−1%
Home value$557,300−21%
Population2,544,916−19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Orange County, California?

Orange County, California has about 3,186,989 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Orange County, California earns about $94,441 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 $703,800, and the typical rent is about $1,928 a month.

How educated are people in Orange County, California?

About 41.2% 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 10.1% 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 776,433 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →