Costa Mesa, California Housing Market Prices
Costa Mesa Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 26% above the California median$817,391
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Median rent 21% above the California median$2,466
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Costa Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $817,391 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,466 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Costa Mesa is about 26% higher than in California. Rent is about 21% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Costa Mesa: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 5.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Costa Mesa rose about 56.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,578 to $2,466. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 7.2 yearly household incomes in Costa Mesa.
Buying the median-priced home in Costa Mesa costs roughly 27.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Costa Mesa. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Costa Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $817,391 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $113,143 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.2 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Costa Mesa rose about 75.3%, while median household income rose about 67.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Costa Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 37.2% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 57.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.8% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
Costa Mesa has a homeownership rate of 37.2%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.8%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Costa Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.54 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1973 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Costa Mesa was built around 1973. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 4.3 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Costa Mesa, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
Costa Mesa, CA is the 3rd largest of the 4 cities compared here, 112,438 residents against a local median of 185,924. Costa Mesa, CA's homeownership, at 39.1%, runs 23% below the 50.9% typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 12.0% on homeownership, so Costa Mesa, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Costa Mesa, CA has the 4th highest homeownership of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa, CA | 112,438 | $817,391 #3/4 | $2,466 #3/4 | 39.1% #4/4 |
| Newport Beach, CA | 82,228 | $2,029,392 | $3,295 | 50.9% |
| Santa Ana, CA | 313,932 | $672,808 | $2,082 | 44.1% |
| Huntington Beach, CA | 185,924 | $955,298 | $2,518 | 56.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Costa Mesa, California.
What is the median home price in Costa Mesa, California?
The median home price in Costa Mesa, California is $817,391, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Costa Mesa, California?
The typical home price in Costa Mesa, California, reported as the median sale price, is $817,391. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Costa Mesa, California?
The median gross rent in Costa Mesa, California is $2,466 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Costa Mesa in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Costa Mesa, California was $1,941 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Costa Mesa, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Costa Mesa, California is about 27.6, meaning it would take roughly 27.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Costa Mesa.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Costa Mesa, California?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Costa Mesa: home prices fell about 1.1% a year while rent rose about 5.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Costa Mesa, California?
37.2% of households in Costa Mesa, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Costa Mesa, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Costa Mesa, California is 4.8%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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