Costa Mesa, CA Profile: Facts & Data

The City of Costa Mesa had a population of 110,852 as of July 1, 2024. Costa Mesa ranks in the upper quartile for Population Density and Diversity Index when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in California. See peer rankings below.

The primary coordinate point for Costa Mesa is located at latitude 33.6411 and longitude -117.9187 in Orange County. The formal boundaries for the City of Costa Mesa encompass a land area of 15.7 sq. miles and a water area of 0.08 sq. miles. Orange County is in the Pacific time zone (GMT -8).

The City of Costa Mesa has a C1 Census Class Code which indicates an active incorporated place that does not serve as a county subdivision equivalent. It also has a Functional Status Code of "A" which identifies an active government providing primary general-purpose functions.

California is one of 20 states where Census County Divisions (CCDs) are used for statistical tracking of subdivisions within each county. The City of Costa Mesa is located within Central Coast CCD of Orange County.

Costa Mesa, CA Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2024)

POPULATION
Total Population	110,852 (100%)
Population in Households	108,973 (98.3%)
Population in Families	79,116 (71.4%)
Population in Group Quarters¹	1,879 ( 1.7%)
Population Density	7,013
Diversity Index²	82


INCOME
Median Household Income	$108,067
Average Household Income	$150,780
% of Income for Mortgage⁴	62%
Per Capita Income	$58,047
Wealth Index⁵	117
Socioeconomic Status Index⁶	Moderate (46.7)

HOUSING
Total HU (Housing Units)	44,907 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU	16,624 (37.0%)
Renter Occupied HU	26,026 (58.0%)
Vacant Housing Units	2,257 ( 5.0%)
Median Home Value	$1,070,293
Average Home Value	$1,151,227
Housing Affordability Index³	41

HOUSEHOLDS
Total Households	42,650
Average Household Size	2.56
Family Households	24,722
Average Family Size	3.00

NOTES

Group Quarters - a place where people live or stay in a group living arrangement. Includes college residents halls, nursing facilities, military barracks, and correctional facilities.
The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelihood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different races or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.
The % of Income for Mortgage quantifies the percentage of median household income dedicated to mortgage payments on a home priced at the median value (assuming a 30-year mortgage and a 20% down payment).
The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.
The Socioeconomic Index ranges from zero (lowest relative status) to 100 (highest relative status). This measure quantifies disparities in social position of an area's inhabitants and is built from a broad range of demographic, housing, and socioeconomic inputs. More information on this measure can be found in Esri's SEI tutorial.

Costa Mesa, CA - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares Costa Mesa to the other 1,618 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in California by rank and percentile using July 1, 2024 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.

GROWTH RATE / YEAR	2020-2024	2024-2029
Population	-0.22%	0.11%
Households	0.26%	0.67%
Families		0.71%
Median Household Income		2.45%
Per Capita Income		3.48%
Owner Occupied HU		0.84%

Variable Description	Rank	Percentile
Total Population	# 62	96th
Population Density	# 144	91st
Median Household Income	# 448	72nd
Housing Affordability Index	# 420	26th
Per Capita Income	# 402	75th
Diversity Index	# 323	80th

Costa Mesa, CA Profile: Facts & Data

Costa Mesa, California - Basic Facts

Costa Mesa, CA Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2024)

POPULATION

INCOME

HOUSING

HOUSEHOLDS

GROWTH RATE / YEAR

Costa Mesa, CA - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

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