HomeCaliforniaOrange County
Orange County, California: commercial real estate data.
Orange County, California has a population of 3,165,820 across 791 square miles, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Orange County
How many people live in Orange County
- Population3,165,820
- 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-equivalents6th
Orange County is the 3rd largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 8.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,187,256
- 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
The county has lost 0.53 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Orange County
Where people moving to Orange County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving59,585
- People arriving, from those returns96,611
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.84 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$114,759
- Largest single originOrange County Non-migrants (1,279,114 households)
- Largest single destination (1,279,114 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Non-migrants | 1,279,114 | 2,509,438 | $168.70 bn |
| Los Angeles County | 21,267 | 34,853 | $2.38 bn |
| Riverside County | 5,613 | 9,598 | $457.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,348 | 6,813 | $371.3 m |
| San Diego County | 3,305 | 4,901 | $326.5 m |
| San Bernardino County | 3,291 | 5,348 | $282.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,750 | 2,784 | $129.4 m |
| Santa Clara County | 1,218 | 2,087 | $312.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Orange County Non-migrants, 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 the Orange County economy runs on
- 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 California counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents9th
- 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
Who employs people in Orange County
- Covered employment, annual average1,661,276
- Establishments reporting148,394
- Average annual pay$81,403
- Average weekly wage$1,565
- Sector 62, employment228,409
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,644
- Sector 72, employment174,391
- Sector 72, average annual pay$35,198
- Sector 31-33, employment153,972
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$112,623
- Sector 44-45, employment143,993
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$50,475
- Sector 56, employment137,200
- Sector 54, employment136,974
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 228,409 | 50,906 | $64,644 |
| Sector 72 | 174,391 | 8,753 | $35,198 |
| Sector 31-33 | 153,972 | 5,214 | $112,623 |
| Sector 44-45 | 143,993 | 9,768 | $50,475 |
| Sector 56 | 137,200 | 5,534 | $57,310 |
| Sector 54 | 136,974 | 19,966 | $121,683 |
| Sector 23 | 105,302 | 8,403 | $95,149 |
| Sector 42 | 78,907 | 7,023 | $107,526 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 228,409 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Orange County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Orange County
What is being built in Orange County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20246,972
- Declared construction value permitted$1.75 bn
- Single family units authorised2,671
- Multifamily units authorised4,301
- Multifamily share of units61.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$251,109
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.4
Multifamily is 61.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Orange County
How much SBA lending happens in Orange County
- 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$763,000
- Distinct CDCs active15
- 504 jobs per approval13.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCCDC Small Business Finance Corp. (632)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.57 bn
The average approval of $635,887 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually 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
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% |
| 722515 | Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars | 19 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 541110 | Offices of Lawyers | 19 | 2 | 10.5% |
| 621111 | Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) | 19 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 524210 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
| 541330 | Engineering Services | 16 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 238220 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
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 ten resolved loans, Insurance Agencies and Brokerages carries the highest charge off rate at 12.5 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Orange County
Which parts of Orange County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending76
- IRVINE, approvals556
- ANAHEIM, approvals485
- Santa Ana, approvals355
- HUNTINGTON BEACH, approvals289
- ORANGE, approvals266
- COSTA MESA, approvals261
| Place | 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 |
| GARDEN GROVE | 205 | $128,882,800 |
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 big 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
What hazards affect Orange County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities 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
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population3,165,820
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has fallen 0.53 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Orange County?
Average annual pay is $81,403, or $1,565 a week, across 1,661,276 covered jobs. 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 totalling $3.13 bn since FY2020, across 185 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 2,262 504 approvals worth $2.44 bn. 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.
What is being built in Orange County?
6,972 housing units were authorised 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 Orange County Non-migrants, with 1,279,114 households. Arriving households report an average income of $114,759 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.