Housing data for Costa Mesa, CA
Costa Mesa, CA has an estimated 110,330 residents and 44,427 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Orange County.
60.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,446 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−2.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 110,330 (±43)
- Housing units
- 44,427 (±996)
- Households that rent
- 60.4%
- Median gross rent
- $2,446
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −2.5%
What stands out in Costa Mesa
Households that rent: 60.4% (±1.8 points) in Costa Mesa, higher than in Orange County (43.6%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 33.2% (±2.1 points) in Costa Mesa, higher than in Orange County (26.1%).
Median home value: $1,115,100 (±$20,646) in Costa Mesa, higher than in Orange County ($962,600).
Households that moved in since 2020: 29.0% (±2.0 points) in Costa Mesa, higher than in Orange County (23.8%).
- Renters and owners in Costa Mesa
- Types of homes in Costa Mesa
- Home values in Costa Mesa
- How long people stay in Costa Mesa
Housing in Costa Mesa at a glance
- Median rent: $2,446 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,492 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 53.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 60.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $111,505 median household income
- Home values: $1,115,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,315 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,839 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 33.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 42.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 68.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.3% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 65.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 22.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 545 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −2.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 8.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Costa Mesa against Orange County, its state and the nation
| Costa Mesa | Orange County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 110,330 (±43) | 3,165,820 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 44,427 (±996) | 1,146,169 (±308) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 60.4% (±1.8 points) | 43.6% (±0.4 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,446 (±$39) | $2,434 (±$13) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $111,505 (±$4,151) | $116,289 (±$871) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,115,100 (±$20,646) | $962,600 (±$4,214) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,839 (±$307) | $6,330 (±$53) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 68.3% (±2.6 points) | 56.8% (±0.6 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.4 minutes (±0.7) | 26.7 minutes (±0.2) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 95.8% (±0.9 points) | 95.0% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 36.7 years (±0.8) | 39.4 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Costa Mesa covers 15.8 square miles of land, about 6,980 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Costa Mesa has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 113,159 (±76) | 110,330 (±43) | −2.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 43,122 (±736) | 44,427 (±996) | +3.0% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,857 (±$25) | $2,446 (±$39) | +31.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $749,400 (±$16,215) | $1,115,100 (±$20,646) | +48.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $84,138 (±$2,744) | $111,505 (±$4,151) | +32.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,883 (±$75) | $3,315 (±$96) | +15.0% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,953 (±$216) | $6,839 (±$307) | +38.1% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 61.7% (±1.3 points) | 60.4% (±1.8 points) | −1.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.0% (±1.0 points) | 4.3% (±1.3 points) | +1.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Costa Mesa
In 2025, the Costa Mesa Police Department reported 545 violent and 2,095 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Orange County, the departments that report recorded 264 violent and 1,336 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Costa Mesa
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92626 | 100% | 50,708 | $2,570 | $1,105,900 | $114,249 |
| 92627 | 95% | 60,393 | $2,365 | $1,125,600 | $108,994 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Costa Mesa
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Valley | 3.8 mi | $2,631 | $1,072,300 | 35.2% |
| Newport Beach | 4.9 mi | $3,316 | $2,000,000 or more | 47.9% |
| Santa Ana | 5.2 mi | $2,082 | $713,000 | 55.4% |
| Huntington Beach | 5.7 mi | $2,510 | $1,100,000 | 44.6% |
| Midway City | 6.9 mi | $1,611 | $788,600 | 72.4% |
| Tustin | 7.4 mi | $2,449 | $950,400 | 51.2% |
| Westminster | 7.6 mi | $2,168 | $858,300 | 46.6% |
| Irvine | 8.2 mi | $2,997 | $1,191,500 | 55.5% |
Places in California most like Costa Mesa
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Palo Alto | $2,244 | $1,102,600 | $113,493 | 50.9% |
| Monterey | $2,353 | $1,076,300 | $102,846 | 63.8% |
| Twin Lakes | $2,344 | $959,100 | $90,087 | 59.2% |
| Burbank | $2,192 | $1,089,100 | $97,082 | 56.7% |
| Santa Barbara | $2,413 | $1,570,800 | $106,182 | 60.1% |
| Goleta | $2,437 | $1,062,100 | $122,370 | 49.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Costa Mesa, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,580 | $2,610 | $3,057 | $4,153 | $4,964 |
HUD income limits for Costa Mesa, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $39,100 | $65,150 | $104,200 |
| 2 people | $44,700 | $74,450 | $119,100 |
| 3 people | $50,300 | $83,750 | $134,000 |
| 4 people | $55,850 | $93,050 | $148,850 |
| 5 people | $60,350 | $100,500 | $160,800 |
| 6 people | $64,800 | $107,950 | $172,700 |
| 7 people | $69,300 | $115,400 | $184,600 |
| 8 people | $73,750 | $122,850 | $196,500 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $138,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Costa Mesa
What is the average rent in Costa Mesa, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Costa Mesa is $2,446 (±$39) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Costa Mesa, CA is $2,221 (±$57) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Costa Mesa rent-burdened?
53.2% of renting households in Costa Mesa pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa has an estimated 25,564 (±1,008) renting households, 60.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Costa Mesa?
The median household income in Costa Mesa is $111,505 (±$4,151) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Costa Mesa, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,115,100 (±$20,646) for owner-occupied homes in Costa Mesa (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Costa Mesa growing?
In Costa Mesa, the number of residents went from 113,159 in 2015–2019 to 110,330 in 2020–2024 (−2.5%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Costa Mesa?
The ZIP codes that cover Costa Mesa are 92626, 92627.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 92626?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 92626 is $2,570 (±$96) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Costa Mesa Police Department (ORI CA0300400)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Costa Mesa city, California (place:16532, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .