The Town FilesCosta Mesa, California
City in Orange County · population 111,918 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,115,100
- Household income
- $111,505
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 19
- Median age
- 36.7
Costa Mesa is a city of 111,918 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $1,115,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 98% of California towns, better for young professionals than 97% of California towns, better for cycling than 90% of California towns.
How Costa Mesa ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Costa Mesa is worth $1,115,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.0 times the median household income of $111,505, which is more affordable than 9% of California towns. Median rent is $2,446 a month. 39.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Costa Mesa | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,115,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,446 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $111,505 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 39.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Costa Mesa
| People | Costa Mesa | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.2% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.3% | — |
| Work from home | 22.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Costa Mesa
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 48.6°F. About 11.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Costa Mesa since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1966 about 1.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on January 31, 1979.
Severe weather in Orange County since 1996
Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Fire | FM-5679: Norte Fire |
| May 25, 2026 | Chemical | EM-3646: Chemical Release |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2022 | Fire | FM-5439: Coastal Fire |
Jobs and pay in Orange County
Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Costa Mesa itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.
Public schools in Costa Mesa
27 public schools with 11,507 students, about 17.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa High | 7-12 | 1,761 | 18.7 |
| ACCESS County Community | K-12 | 1,525 | 22.8 |
| Estancia High | 9-12 | 1,030 | 19.1 |
| Maude B. Davis Elementary | K-6 | 560 | 24.3 |
| Heinz Kaiser Elementary | 3-6 | 520 | 20.8 |
| Charles W. Tewinkle Middle | 7-8 | 514 | 16.6 |
| College Park Elementary | K-6 | 471 | 18.8 |
| Whittier Elementary | K-6 | 457 | 16.9 |
| Woodland Elementary | K-2 | 455 | 19.8 |
| Killybrooke Elementary | K-6 | 445 | 21.2 |
| Sonora Elementary | K-6 | 376 | 19.8 |
| California Elementary | K-6 | 366 | 19.3 |
Towns near Costa Mesa
- Fountain Valley, CA3.8 mi · 57,047 people · home $1,072,300
- Newport Beach, CA3.8 mi · 85,239 people · home $2,000,001
- Santa Ana, CA5.2 mi · 310,227 people · home $713,000
- Huntington Beach, CA5.7 mi · 198,711 people · home $1,100,000
- Midway City, CA6.9 mi · 8,825 people · home $788,600
- Tustin, CA7.4 mi · 80,276 people · home $950,400
- Westminster, CA7.6 mi · 90,911 people · home $858,300
- Irvine, CA8.2 mi · 307,670 people · home $1,191,500
Costa Mesa questions
Is Costa Mesa, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Costa Mesa scores better for retirees than 26% of California towns and quieter than 9%. 13.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.7).
How much does a house cost in Costa Mesa?
The median owner-occupied home in Costa Mesa is valued at $1,115,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $111,505, so homes cost about 10.0 times income. Median rent is $2,446 a month.
What is the weather like in Costa Mesa?
July highs average 78.9°F and January lows 48.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Costa Mesa get tornadoes?
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Costa Mesa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 1966. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)