HomeCaliforniaOrange County
Orange County, California: commercial real estate data.
Orange County, California had an estimated 3,170,435 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,187,256, across 791 square miles. County output reached $351.75 bn in 2024, 106,961 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4,928 7(a) approvals worth $3.13 bn since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Orange County
How many people live in Orange County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,165,820
- Households1,082,960
- Average household size2.92
- Median household income$116,289
- Median age39.4
- Median gross rent$2,434 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$962,600
- Home value to household income8.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher44.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,217,917
- Population under 18665,133
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over514,824
- Share 65 and over16.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,985,863
- Civilian labor force1,692,091
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.7 percent
- Rank by population among California counties3rd of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included6th of 3,222
Orange County is the 3rd largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 8.3 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.0 percent against 16.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Orange County
Is Orange County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20243,170,435
- Census 2020 base population3,187,256
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.53 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202415,872
- Births, 202430,291
- Deaths, 202421,854
- Natural change, 20248,437
- Net domestic migration, 2024-22,370
- Net international migration, 202429,759
- Total net migration, 20247,389
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-120,426
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2029th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.53 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Orange County
Where are people moving to Orange County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving59,585
- People arriving, from those returns96,611
- Tax returns filed by households leaving74,579
- Net household movement-14,994
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.84 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.59 bn
- Average income of an arriving household$114,759
- Average income of a leaving household$113,037
- Largest single originLos Angeles County (21,267 households)
- Largest single destinationLos Angeles County (16,322 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 21,267 | 34,853 | $2.38 bn |
| Riverside County | 5,613 | 9,598 | $457.9 m |
| San Diego County | 3,305 | 4,901 | $326.5 m |
| San Bernardino County | 3,291 | 5,348 | $282.4 m |
| Santa Clara County | 1,218 | 2,087 | $312.7 m |
| Maricopa County | 1,008 | 1,612 | $127.3 m |
| Clark County | 835 | 1,390 | $92.9 m |
| Alameda County | 786 | 1,233 | $150.2 m |
Households arriving report $1,722 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Los Angeles County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Orange County
What is the Orange County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$351.75 bn
- County GDP, 2023$333.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.6 percent
- GDP change over five years30.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes3rd of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes9th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$111,109
Output grew 5.6 percent in the latest year and 30.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Orange County
Employment by industry in Orange County
- Covered employment, annual average1,661,276
- Establishments reporting148,394
- Average annual pay$81,403
- Average weekly wage$1,565
- Health care and social assistance, employment228,409
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$64,644
- Accommodation and food services, employment174,391
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$35,198
- Manufacturing, employment153,972
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$112,623
- Retail trade, employment143,993
- Retail trade, average annual pay$50,475
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment137,200
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment136,974
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 228,409 | 50,906 | $64,644 |
| Accommodation and food services | 174,391 | 8,753 | $35,198 |
| Manufacturing | 153,972 | 5,214 | $112,623 |
| Retail trade | 143,993 | 9,768 | $50,475 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 137,200 | 5,534 | $57,310 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 136,974 | 19,966 | $121,683 |
| Construction | 105,302 | 8,403 | $95,149 |
| Wholesale trade | 78,907 | 7,023 | $107,526 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 228,409 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Orange County
How many businesses are in Orange County?
- Establishments, all industries106,961
- Employment at those establishments1,580,778
- Annual payroll$118.69 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orange County
Building permits in Orange County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246,972
- Declared construction value permitted$1.75 bn
- Single family units authorized2,671
- Multifamily units authorized4,301
- Multifamily share of units61.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$251,109
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.4
Multifamily is 61.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Orange County
SBA loans in Orange County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4,928
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.13 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$635,887
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,800,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)53,899
- Jobs per approval10.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active185
- Distinct industries receiving approvals552
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms770
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3,985
- Franchise loans378
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (258)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (603)
- 504 approvals recorded2,262
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.44 bn
- Average 504 approval$1,077,011
- Median 504 approval$761,500
- Distinct CDCs active15
- 504 jobs per approval13.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCCDC Small Business Finance Corp. (632)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.57 bn
The average approval of $635,887 sits well above the median of $250,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Orange County
Do SBA loans in Orange County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded934
- Paid in full835
- Charged off99
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans10.6 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3,066
- Status: Paid in full835
- Status: Cancelled696
- Status: Charged off99
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed232
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 57 | 5 | 8.8% |
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 36 | 4 | 11.1% |
Of the 934 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least 30 resolved loans, Limited-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge-off rate at 11.1 percent.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
SBA lending by place in Orange County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending73
- Irvine, approvals556
- Anaheim, approvals485
- Santa Ana, approvals355
- Huntington Beach, approvals289
- Orange, approvals266
- Costa Mesa, approvals261
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Irvine | 556 | $389,380,400 |
| Anaheim | 485 | $355,496,900 |
| Santa Ana | 355 | $249,009,000 |
| Huntington Beach | 289 | $180,015,100 |
| Orange | 266 | $186,168,200 |
| Costa Mesa | 261 | $154,905,400 |
| Fullerton | 230 | $158,212,900 |
| Newport Beach | 206 | $135,891,100 |
| 65 other borrower cities | 2,280 | $1,324,571,700 |
Irvine accounts for 556 approvals against 485 in Anaheim. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
How large is Orange County?
- Land area791 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties47th of 58
- Width, east to west40.5 mi
- Height, north to south38.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land4,002
- Establishments per square mile135.22
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orange County
Flood risk in Orange County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Orange County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060212
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book35
- Of those, participating in the NFIP35
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class10
- Radon levels in Orange County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Orange County (community 060212), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Orange County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Orange County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Orange County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20243,165,820
- Households1,082,960
- Average household size2.92
- Median household income$116,289
- Median age39.4
Common questions
Orange County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Orange County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 3,170,435 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 3,165,820, in 1,082,960 households, ranking 3rd of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Orange County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.53 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,187,256, to 3,170,435 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 30,291 births against 21,854 deaths, with net migration of 7,389. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Orange County?
$116,289. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $962,600, which is 8.3 times income, and median gross rent is $2,434 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Orange County?
106,961 establishments, employing 1,580,778 people with an annual payroll of $118.69 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Orange County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 228,409 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,661,276 jobs at an average annual pay of $81,403, or $1,565 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Orange County?
4,928 7(a) approvals totaling $3.13 bn since FY2020, across 185 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 2,262 504 approvals worth $2.44 bn since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Orange County get paid back?
Of the 934 loans that have reached a final outcome, 835 were paid in full and 99 charged off, a charge-off rate of 10.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Orange County?
6,972 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.75 bn. Multifamily was 61.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Orange County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Orange County come from?
The largest single origin is Los Angeles County, with 21,267 households. Arriving households report an average income of $114,759 against $113,037 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Orange County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Orange County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Orange County
Cities and places in Orange.
45 Census places lie wholly or partly in Orange County. All 45 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | city | 344,521 | 485 | Wholly in this county |
| Santa Ana | city | 312,534 | 355 | Wholly in this county |
| Irvine | city | 311,690 | 556 | Wholly in this county |
| Huntington Beach | city | 195,240 | 289 | Wholly in this county |
| Garden Grove | city | 170,964 | 205 | Wholly in this county |
| Fullerton | city | 140,968 | 230 | Wholly in this county |
| Orange | city | 138,266 | 266 | Wholly in this county |
| Costa Mesa | city | 110,330 | 261 | Wholly in this county |
| Mission Viejo | city | 92,151 | 115 | Wholly in this county |
| Westminster | city | 89,860 | 67 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Forest | city | 86,281 | 116 | Wholly in this county |
| Newport Beach | city | 83,845 | 206 | Wholly in this county |
| Buena Park | city | 82,871 | 147 | Wholly in this county |
| Tustin | city | 78,981 | 157 | Wholly in this county |
| Yorba Linda | city | 67,170 | 100 | Wholly in this county |
| Laguna Niguel | city | 64,139 | 89 | Wholly in this county |
| San Clemente | city | 63,273 | 123 | Wholly in this county |
| La Habra | city | 61,970 | 78 | Wholly in this county |
| Fountain Valley | city | 56,258 | 78 | Wholly in this county |
| Placentia | city | 52,826 | 78 | Wholly in this county |
| Aliso Viejo | city | 51,113 | 72 | Wholly in this county |
| Cypress | city | 49,498 | 64 | Wholly in this county |
| Brea | city | 47,469 | 133 | Wholly in this county |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | city | 46,990 | 64 | Wholly in this county |
| Stanton | city | 39,402 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| San Juan Capistrano | city | 35,095 | 49 | Wholly in this county |
| Dana Point | city | 32,790 | 61 | Wholly in this county |
| Laguna Hills | city | 30,740 | 106 | Wholly in this county |
| North Tustin | CDP | 25,807 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Seal Beach | city | 24,722 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Ladera Ranch | CDP | 23,793 | 43 | Wholly in this county |
| Laguna Beach | city | 22,710 | 56 | Wholly in this county |
| Laguna Woods | city | 17,289 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| La Palma | city | 15,272 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Coto de Caza | CDP | 15,190 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Rancho Mission Viejo | CDP | 11,971 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Los Alamitos | city | 11,794 | 54 | Wholly in this county |
| Rossmoor | CDP | 11,532 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Midway City | CDP | 7,999 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Villa Park | city | 5,748 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Las Flores | CDP | 5,513 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Trabuco Canyon | CDP | 1,326 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Silverado | CDP | 972 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Modjeska | CDP | 714 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Williams Canyon | CDP | 73 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 94 of the county's 4,928 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Orange County, the largest being Corona Del Mar (22), Foothill Ranch (20), Newport Coast (10). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby