What kinds of homes are in Costa Mesa, CA?

Name: Types of homes in Costa Mesa, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Costa Mesa, CA has 44,427 (±996) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 2,811 homes per square mile of land.

39.3% are detached single-family houses.

14.3% are in buildings of two to four units.

33.2% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 44,427 (±996)
Detached houses: 39.3%
2–4 unit buildings: 14.3%
5+ unit buildings: 33.2%

Homes in Costa Mesa by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Costa Mesa	Orange County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	39.3% (±1.7 points)	49.4%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	10.5% (±1.1 points)	13.0%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	3.4% (±0.8 points)	1.9%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	10.9% (±1.4 points)	7.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	8.3% (±1.1 points)	5.9%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	7.7% (±1.0 points)	4.7%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	17.2% (±1.5 points)	15.5%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	2.6% (±0.7 points)	2.7%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Costa Mesa, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Orange County (26.1%).

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Costa Mesa

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Costa Mesa
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Costa Mesa	—	33.2% (±2.1 points)	—
Fountain Valley	3.8 mi	16.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Newport Beach	4.9 mi	25.5% (±1.9 points)	Lower
Santa Ana	5.2 mi	33.4% (±1.4 points)	Not measurably different
Huntington Beach	5.7 mi	23.7% (±1.4 points)	Lower
Midway City	6.9 mi	23.2% (±8.4 points)	Lower
Tustin	7.4 mi	35.9% (±3.0 points)	Not measurably different
Westminster	7.6 mi	19.2% (±1.8 points)	Lower
Irvine	8.2 mi	36.9% (±1.3 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Fountain Valley, CA (16.1%), Newport Beach, CA (25.5%), Huntington Beach, CA (23.7%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Irvine, CA (36.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Orange County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
2	Irvine	36.9% (±1.3 points)
3	Anaheim	36.6% (±1.5 points)
4	Tustin	35.9% (±3.0 points)
5	Seal Beach	35.8% (±3.2 points)
6	Aliso Viejo	33.6% (±3.5 points)
7	Santa Ana	33.4% (±1.4 points)
8	Costa Mesa	33.2% (±2.1 points)
9	Stanton	31.3% (±4.1 points)
10	Fullerton	29.6% (±2.0 points)
11	Los Alamitos	27.5% (±4.7 points)
12	La Habra	27.4% (±2.6 points)
13	Brea	26.6% (±2.9 points)
14	Las Flores	25.6% (±10.2 points)

Showing 13 of 42 places in Orange County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Costa Mesa

How many homes are in Costa Mesa?

Costa Mesa, CA has an estimated 44,427 (±996) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Costa Mesa houses or apartments?

39.3% are detached houses and 10.5% attached houses, while 47.5% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Costa Mesa?

14.3% of homes in Costa Mesa are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Costa Mesa city, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.