Costa Mesa, CA

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
110,330
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
36.7
0.548% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
9.14%
2.17% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$111,505
1.3% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$1.12M
5.73% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
64,932
0.573% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Costa Mesa, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

87.7% of the residents in Costa Mesa, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Costa Mesa, CA are Orange Coast College (4,696 degrees awarded in 2023), Vanguard University of Southern California (595 degrees), and Paul Mitchell the School-Costa Mesa (331 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Costa Mesa, CA was $1.12M, and the homeownership rate was 39.6%.

Most people in Costa Mesa, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Costa Mesa, CA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesCaliforniaOrange County, CALos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAOrange County (Northwest)--Huntington Beach City PUMA, CAOrange County (Central)--Santa Ana City (West) PUMA, CAOrange County (Central)--Santa Ana City (East) PUMA, CAOrange County (Central)--Costa Mesa & Fountain Valley Cities PUMA, CAOrange County (Central)--Irvine (Northwest) & Tustin Cities PUMA, CAOrange County (West Central)--Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo & Laguna Woods Cities PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Costa Mesa, CA is home to a population of 110k people, from which 87.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 22.3% of Costa Mesa, CA residents were born outside of the country (24.6k people).

In 2024, there were 3.15 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.4k people) in Costa Mesa, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 16k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

87.7%
2024 Citizenship
87.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 87.7% of Costa Mesa, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Costa Mesa, CA was 87.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Costa Mesa, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Costa Mesa, CA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    52.4k ± 2.05k
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    16.6k ± 2.18k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    16k ± 2.03k
36.6%
Hispanic Population
40.4k people

In 2024, there were 3.15 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.4k people) in Costa Mesa, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 16k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

36.6% of the people in Costa Mesa, CA are hispanic (40.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Costa Mesa, CA as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

22.3%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
24.6k people
22.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
25.1k people

As of 2024, 22.3% of Costa Mesa, CA residents (24.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Costa Mesa, CA was 22.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Costa Mesa, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    963 ± 252
  2. Vietnam
    744 ± 177
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    508 ± 183

Costa Mesa, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Costa Mesa, CA.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Costa Mesa, CA employs 64.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Costa Mesa, CA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (7,258 people), Retail Trade (6,922 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (6,190 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($166,917), Public Administration ($97,639), and Finance & Insurance ($95,991).

Employment

Occupations

64.9k
2024 Value
± 2,230
0.573%
1 Year growth
± 4.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Costa Mesa, CA grew at a rate of 0.573%, from 64.6k employees to 64.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Costa Mesa, CA, are Management Occupations (9,206 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,031 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,159 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Costa Mesa, CA.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

64.9k
2024 Value
± 2,230
0.573%
1 Year growth
± 4.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Costa Mesa, CA grew at a rate of 0.573%, from 64.6k employees to 64.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Costa Mesa, CA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (7,258 people), Retail Trade (6,922 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (6,190 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Costa Mesa, CA, though some of these residents may live in Costa Mesa, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,295
Median earning men ± $3,881
$51,891
Median earning women ± $3,706

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($120,690), Wholesale Trade ($116,250), and Public Administration ($108,839).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($107,321), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,920), and Manufacturing ($75,865).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Y-Axis
2.57%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Costa Mesa, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.
Adam Schiff
Senator from California1
Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Costa Mesa, CA awarded 5,893 degrees. The student population of Costa Mesa, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,395 male students and 10,577 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Costa Mesa, CA are White (1,789 and 32.6%), Hispanic or Latino (1,759 and 32.1%), Asian (1,433 and 26.1%), and Two or More Races (292 and 5.32%).

The largest universities in Costa Mesa, CA by number of degrees awarded are Orange Coast College (4,696 and 79.7%), Vanguard University of Southern California (595 and 10.1%), and Paul Mitchell the School-Costa Mesa (331 and 5.62%).

The most popular majors in Costa Mesa, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (2,056 and 34.9%), General Business Administration & Management (392 and 6.65%), and General Psychology (264 and 4.48%).

The median tuition cost in Costa Mesa, CA for private four year colleges is $39,250.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Costa Mesa, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 64.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 19,972 (47% men and 53% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 19,972 students enrolled in Costa Mesa, CA, 47% men and 53% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 7,610 records, of which 57.2% were women and 42.8% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    190 degrees awarded
  2. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    400 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    320 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Costa Mesa, CA was General Psychology with 190 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Costa Mesa, CA according to their major.

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Orange Coast College
    4,696 degrees awarded
  2. Vanguard University of Southern California
    595 degrees awarded
  3. Paul Mitchell the School-Costa Mesa
    331 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Orange Coast College with 4,696 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,544 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Costa Mesa, CA, which is 0.76 times less than the 3,349 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,789 degrees mean that there were 1.02 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,759 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($39,250) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($700) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,152) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Costa Mesa, CA was $1.12M in 2024, which is 3.35 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.05M to $1.12M, a 5.73% increase. The homeownership rate in Costa Mesa, CA is 39.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Costa Mesa, CA have an average commute time of 22.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Costa Mesa, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$1.12M
Median Property Value 2024
±$20,646
$16,728
Median Property Taxes
±$962

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Costa Mesa, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Costa Mesa, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

39.6%
Homeownership
2024
71.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 39.6% of the housing units in Costa Mesa, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 39.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Costa Mesa, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$111,505
Median Household Income
± $4,151
42.3k
Number of Households
± 1,628

In 2024, the median household income of the 42.3k households in Costa Mesa, CA grew to $111,505 from the previous year's value of $110,073.

The following chart displays the households in Costa Mesa, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Costa Mesa, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (62.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (22.2%)
  3. Carpooled (8.23%)

In 2024, 62.4% of workers in Costa Mesa, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (22.2%) and those who carpooled to work (8.23%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

22.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Costa Mesa, CA have a shorter commute time (22.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.84% of the workforce in Costa Mesa, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Costa Mesa, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Costa Mesa, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Costa Mesa, CA have 2 cars.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.14% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Costa Mesa, CA (10k out of 110k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Costa Mesa, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image

Health

90.5% of the population of Costa Mesa, CA has health coverage, with 49.5% on employee plans, 18.2% on Medicaid, 9.77% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.62% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.8% under 18 years, 27% between 18 and 34 years, 40% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

9.54%
Uninsured
49.5%
Employer Coverage
18.2%
Medicaid
9.77%
Medicare
12.4%
Non-Group
0.62%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Costa Mesa, CA declined by 10.1% from 10.6% to 9.54%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Costa Mesa, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image