Orange County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Orange County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 91% of counties in California
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 82% of counties in California
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,164,225 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3334.0 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,082,213 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Orange County grew by 3.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,164,225 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Orange County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.5% of residents. That is 1.2 points below California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 674,679 21.3% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 710,678 22.5% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 686,738 21.7% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 490,963 15.5% +0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Orange County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Orange County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Orange County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,542 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.08% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Orange County is about 18% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,003,714 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,433 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Orange County is about 34.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,433 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Orange County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,977 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 27,547 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,042 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Orange County is about the same as in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Orange County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.87 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Orange County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Orange County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Orange County, CA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,164,225 residents against a local median of 2,477,722. The measure that sets Orange County, CA apart most is median home price: $1,003,714, 26% above the local median of $797,190.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $116,542 against a local median of $93,715, 24% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 24% above the local median it puts Orange County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $619,331 on median home price, so Orange County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Orange County, CA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, CA | 3,164,225 | $116,542 #1/6 | $1,003,714 #1/6 | 23.1 min #4/6 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $90,339 | $934,813 | 28.2 min |
| San Diego County, CA | 3,282,387 | $106,588 | $797,190 | 22.6 min |
| Ventura County, CA | 836,943 | $110,868 | $854,285 | 23.0 min |
| Riverside County, CA | 2,477,722 | $93,715 | $479,061 | 28.1 min |
| Kern County, CA | 915,060 | $70,255 | $315,481 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Orange County, California.
What is the population of Orange County, California?
About 3,164,225 people live in Orange County, California, in 1,082,213 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Orange County, California?
Averaged over its land area, Orange County, California has 3,334 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 39 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Orange County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.6 times the median household income ($1,003,714 against $116,542), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,433 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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