The Town FilesMission Viejo, California
City in Orange County · population 93,653 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,009,600
- Household income
- $136,123
- Jan low / Jul high
- 44° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 45.5
Mission Viejo is a city of 93,653 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $1,009,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 86% of California towns, more upscale than 85% of California towns, more of a college town than 82% of California towns.
How Mission Viejo 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 Mission Viejo is worth $1,009,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.4 times the median household income of $136,123, which is more affordable than 35% of California towns. Median rent is $2,839 a month. 76.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mission Viejo | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,009,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,839 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $136,123 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 76.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.4% | — |
Who lives in Mission Viejo
| People | Mission Viejo | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.9% | — |
| Work from home | 23.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Mission Viejo
July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 44.2°F. About 12.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Viejo since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 9, 1982 about 2.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 18, 1988.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 10, 2011.
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 Mission Viejo itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.
Public schools in Mission Viejo
23 public schools with 14,461 students, about 21.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | 9-12 | 2,507 | 23.0 |
| Capistrano Valley High | 9-12 | 1,981 | 21.1 |
| Mission Viejo High | 9-12 | 1,628 | 22.9 |
| Fred Newhart Middle | 6-8 | 1,083 | 19.7 |
| La Paz Intermediate | 7-8 | 707 | 22.8 |
| Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County (charter) | K-5 | 660 | 26.4 |
| Los Alisos Intermediate | 7-8 | 611 | 20.4 |
| Bathgate Elementary | K-5 | 579 | 24.1 |
| De Portola Elementary | K-6 | 567 | 28.4 |
| Castille Elementary | K-5 | 497 | 22.6 |
| Montevideo Elementary | K-6 | 456 | 22.8 |
| Viejo Elementary | K-5 | 451 | 25.1 |
Towns near Mission Viejo
- Las Flores, CA2.6 mi · 5,995 people · home $1,119,100
- Laguna Hills, CA2.7 mi · 31,374 people · home $1,012,300
- Lake Forest, CA3.3 mi · 85,858 people · home $937,000
- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA3.7 mi · 47,949 people · home $971,200
- Coto de Caza, CA4.1 mi · 14,710 people · home $1,535,600
- Ladera Ranch, CA4.2 mi · 26,170 people · home $1,151,000
- Laguna Woods, CA4.3 mi · 17,644 people · home $394,600
- Aliso Viejo, CA4.7 mi · 52,176 people · home $917,900
Mission Viejo questions
Is Mission Viejo, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mission Viejo scores better for retirees than 57% of California towns and quieter than 33%. 22.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.5).
How much does a house cost in Mission Viejo?
The median owner-occupied home in Mission Viejo is valued at $1,009,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $136,123, so homes cost about 7.4 times income. Median rent is $2,839 a month.
What is the weather like in Mission Viejo?
July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 44.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Mission Viejo get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Viejo since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 9, 1982. 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)