Orange County is the third most populous county in California. The county is largely suburban. Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine are the most populous cities. Residents enjoy 14 beaches along the Pacific Ocean, parks, professional sports, tourist attractions, visual and performing arts, and a wide range of outdoor activities in an idyllic climate. The temperature of the region will vary from 45ºF-85ºF over the course of the year but rarely falls below 38ºF or rises above 93ºF (source weatherspark.com). The county is served by 16 hospitals and medical centers.
Demographics
Like other counties in Southern California, Orange County has seen a slight drop in the population in recent years.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau of Statistics:
- The population of Orange County California was 3,186,989 in 2020
- The population estimate for 2021 is 3,167,809
- The growth rate of Orange County was approximately -.6% from 2020-2021
- Approximately 57.4% of the population is aged 18-64 years
- Approximately 26.9% of the population is under 18 years
Housing
U.S. Census Bureau data shows that many of the households in Orange County have more than 2 people, and currently there are more housing units than persons — meaning that Orange County was still able to meet the housing demand in 2021 and potentially beyond.
Current census statistics reveal:
- There were 1,057,592 households with 2.97 persons per household in 2017-2021
- There were 1,138,966 housing units as of July 1st, 2021
- The owner-occupied housing unit rate in 2017-2021 was 57.0%
- The median gross rent for 2017-2021 was $2,057
Income & Employment
Household Data
The median household income in 2017-2021 was $100,485 while the total number of employed residents was 1,551,280 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top Employers
The top employers of Orange County include the Walt Disney Company (~30,000 employees), the University of California, Irvine (~23,884 employees), the County of Orange (~17,271 jobs), and St. Joseph Health (~14,000 jobs). Other top employers (with workforces ranging from 6,000-8,178) include Kaiser Permanente, Albertsons, Target Corp., Walmart Inc., Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, and The Boeing Company.
Transportation
Drivers rely on three major interstate highways: the Santa Ana Freeway, the San Diego Freeway, the San Gabriel River Freeway, and 14 state highways. For more public transportation options, residents have access to the bus lines, railway lines, and the Orange County airport in Santa Ana:
- Public Transit Bus: OCTA bus riders pay $69 for a Regular 30-Day Pass or $5.00 for a 1-Day Pass and Youth Ride. Free passes are valid until September 30th, 2023, according to OCTA to access a well-groomed network of 6,542 stops on 77 lines with a fleet of 817 buses.
- Public Transit Rail: OCTA rail riders can choose from a variety of ticket types to ride the train. This includes, in part, a one-way ticket, round-trip ticket, monthly pass, or low-income fare. Residents can also enjoy a $10 Weekend Day Pass, and three children 17 and under can ride free on weekends with a fare-paying adult, according to OCTA. There are three lines and eleven stations in Orange County.
- Commercial Airport: The John Wayne Airport, located in Santa Ana, serves Orange County. It has two runways. It is owned and operated by the County of Orange. Total passengers in 2021 were 7,700,489, according to OC Air.
Shopping Centers
The county includes a number of shopping malls, big-box centers, and strip malls. South Coast Plaza is the largest mall in California and is located in Costa Mesa. The mall’s anchor stores are Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Avenue. An outlet mall is located in San Clemente.
Medical Centers
- Anaheim Regional Medical Center (Anaheim, CA)
- Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) (Orange, CA)
- CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital (Mission Viejo, CA)
- Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center (Fountain Valley, CA)
- Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center (Garden Grove, CA)
- Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, CA)
- Huntington Beach Hospital (Huntington Beach, CA)
- Los Alamitos Medical Center (Los Alamitos, CA)
- Mission Hospital (Mission Viejo, CA)
- Mission Hospital Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach, CA)
- NH Comprehensive Health Center (Garden Grove, CA)
- Orange Coast Medical Center (Fountain Valley, CA)
- Saddleback Medical Center (Laguna Hills, CA)
- St. Joseph Hospital Orange (Orange, CA)
- St. Jude Medical Center (Fullerton, CA)
- UCI Medical Center (Orange, CA)
Sports, Entertainment & Recreation
The MLB Los Angeles Angels play home games at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim. The NHL Anaheim Ducks play home games at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Huntington Beach hosts the U.S. Open of Surfing (first held here in 1959), AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, and a Vans Park Series Global Qualifier World skateboarding competition.
Residents enjoy a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities at 24 parks (including open spaces, preserves, and trails) 14 beaches along the Pacific Ocean, and over 30 skateboarding parks. There are a number of amusement parks including Disneyland Park (the first park from The Walt Disney Company, which opened in 1955) and Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park.
The performing arts venues range from community theater, smaller playhouses, and dinner theater to world-class performances of Tony Award-winning musicals, dance, and symphony at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Learn More About Orange County with Mark Bridge
Thinking of purchasing multifamily units and investment properties in Orange County or Southern California? Connect with the Bridge Multifamily Team at Cushman & Wakefield to get started on your Orange County multifamily property search today. Reach out to us online or give our office a call at 949-372-4888!
