The Town FilesOrange, California
City in Orange County · population 139,911 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $945,800
- Household income
- $117,113
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 15
- Median age
- 37.2
Orange is a city of 139,911 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $945,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 93% of California towns, more of a college town than 90% of California towns, better for young professionals than 88% of California towns.
How Orange 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 Orange is worth $945,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.1 times the median household income of $117,113, which is more affordable than 25% of California towns. Median rent is $2,327 a month. 56.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Orange | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $945,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,327 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $117,113 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 56.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.1% | — |
Who lives in Orange
| People | Orange | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 21.9% | — |
| Work from home | 17.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Orange
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F. About 12.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orange since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 11, 1997 about 7.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 24, 2001.
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 Orange itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.
Public schools in Orange
28 public schools with 13,971 students, about 23.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Modena High | 9-12 | 1,914 | 22.5 |
| Orange High | 9-12 | 1,748 | 21.6 |
| Santiago Middle (charter) | 7-8 | 1,098 | 25.0 |
| McPherson Magnet | K-8 | 853 | 27.5 |
| California iInspire Academy | K-6 | 692 | 27.7 |
| Portola Middle | 6-8 | 577 | 21.4 |
| Orange County Classical Academy (charter) | K-12 | 568 | 23.7 |
| Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy | K-6 | 497 | 26.2 |
| La Veta Elementary | K-6 | 456 | 26.8 |
| Taft Elementary | K-6 | 436 | 29.1 |
| Cambridge Elementary | K-6 | 426 | 21.3 |
| Palmyra GATE Magnet | K-6 | 425 | 23.6 |
Towns near Orange
- Villa Park, CA3.6 mi · 5,843 people · home $1,871,700
- Santa Ana, CA3.7 mi · 310,227 people · home $713,000
- North Tustin, CA4.1 mi · 25,718 people · home $1,347,800
- Tustin, CA4.8 mi · 80,276 people · home $950,400
- Garden Grove, CA5.7 mi · 171,949 people · home $814,100
- Placentia, CA6.5 mi · 51,824 people · home $921,000
- Fountain Valley, CA7.4 mi · 57,047 people · home $1,072,300
- Anaheim, CA7.6 mi · 346,824 people · home $831,200
Orange questions
Is Orange, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Orange scores better for retirees than 36% of California towns and quieter than 17%. 15.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).
How much does a house cost in Orange?
The median owner-occupied home in Orange is valued at $945,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $117,113, so homes cost about 8.1 times income. Median rent is $2,327 a month.
What is the weather like in Orange?
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 48.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Orange get tornadoes?
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orange since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 11, 1997. 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)