Costa Mesa, CA
Demographics And Statistics

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-25

Living In Costa Mesa, California Summary

Life in Costa Mesa research summary. HomeSnacks has been using Saturday Night Science to research the quality of life in Costa Mesa over the past nine years using Census, FBI, Zillow, and other primary data sources. Based on the most recently available data, we found the following about life in Costa Mesa:

  • The population in Costa Mesa is 110,538.

  • The median home value in Costa Mesa is $1,339,860.

  • The median income in Costa Mesa is $110,073.

  • The cost of living in Costa Mesa is 186 which is 1.9x higher than the national average.

  • The median rent in Costa Mesa is $2,395.

  • The unemployment rate in Costa Mesa is 4.9%.

  • The poverty rate in Costa Mesa is 8.9%.

  • The average high in Costa Mesa is 74.4° and the average low is 54.4°.

Costa Mesa SnackAbility

8
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
10
Affordability
3
Diversity
9.5
Safety
4
Amenities
10
Education
8
Commute
8

Costa Mesa, CA Crime Report

Crime in Costa Mesa summary. We use data from the FBI to determine the crime rates in Costa Mesa. Key points include:

  • There were 3,833 total crimes in Costa Mesa in the last reporting year.

  • The overall crime rate per 100,000 people in Costa Mesa is 3,574.4 / 100k people.

  • The violent crime rate per 100,000 people in Costa Mesa is 737.6 / 100k people.

  • The property crime rate per 100,000 people in Costa Mesa is 2,836.8 / 100k people.

  • Overall, crime in Costa Mesa is 68.66% above the national average.

3,833
Total Crimes
68.66%
Above National Average

Crime In Costa Mesa Comparison Table

Statistic Count
Raw
Costa Mesa
/ 100k People
California
/ 100k People
National
/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 3,833 3,574.4 2,564.5 2,119.2
Violent Crime 791 737.6 486.0 359.0
Murder 3 2.8 4.5 5.0
Robbery 80 74.6 119.1 61.0
Aggravated Assault 642 598.7 325.8 256.0
Property Crime 3,042 2,836.8 2,078.4 1,760.0
Burglary 398 371.1 305.8 229.0
Larceny 2,341 2,183.1 1,345.2 1,272.0
Car Theft 303 282.6 427.5 259.0

Costa Mesa, CA Cost Of Living

Cost of living in Costa Mesa summary. We use data on the cost of living to determine how expensive it is to live in Costa Mesa. Real estate prices drive most of the variance in cost of living around California. Key points include:

  • The cost of living in Costa Mesa is 186 with 100 being average.

  • The cost of living in Costa Mesa is 1.9x higher than the national average.

  • The median home value in Costa Mesa is $1,339,860.

  • The median income in Costa Mesa is $110,073.

186
Costa Mesa's Overall Cost Of Living
1.9x
Higher Than The National Average

Cost Of Living In Costa Mesa Comparison Table

Living Expense Costa Mesa California National Average
Overall 186 141 100
Services 111 110 100
Groceries 111 112 100
Health 100 110 100
Housing 367 195 100
Transportation 122 125 100
Utilities 95 128 100

Costa Mesa, CA Weather

  • The average high in Costa Mesa is 74.4° and the average low is 54.4°.

  • There are 22.9 days of precipitation each year.

  • Expect an average of 13.3 inches of precipitation each year with 0.0 inches of snow.

StatCosta Mesa
Average Annual High74.4
Average Annual Low54.4
Annual Precipitation Days22.9
Average Annual Precipitation13.3
Average Annual Snowfall0.0
74.4°
Average High
22.9
Days of Rain

Costa Mesa, CA Photos

Costa Mesa Photo D Ramey Logan
Source: Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Newport Boulevardc Costa Mesac S
Source: Wikipedia User Orange County Archives fr | CC BY 2.0

Rankings for Costa Mesa in California

Locations Around Costa Mesa

Map Of Costa Mesa, CA

Best Places Around Costa Mesa

1

Mission Viejo, CA
Population 92,415

2

Aliso Viejo, CA
Population 51,320

3

La Mirada, CA
Population 46,945

4

North Tustin, CA
Population 26,038

5

Lakewood, CA
Population 80,510

6
7

Villa Park, CA
Population 5,776

8

Cypress, CA
Population 49,531

9

Lake Forest, CA
Population 85,846

10

Rossmoor, CA
Population 11,895

Costa Mesa Demographics And Statistics

Population over time in Costa Mesa

The current population in Costa Mesa is 110,538. The population has increased 1.1% from 2010.

Year Population % Change
2023 110,538 -0.9%
2022 111,490 -0.6%
2021 112,148 -0.7%
2020 112,958 -0.2%
2019 113,159 -0.0%
2018 113,198 0.2%
2017 112,930 0.4%
2016 112,439 0.1%
2015 112,377 0.7%
2014 111,635 0.7%
2013 110,871 0.5%
2012 110,322 0.5%
2011 109,796 0.4%
2010 109,316 -

Race / Ethnicity in Costa Mesa

White
47.6% (52,663)
African American
1.5% (1,679)
American Indian
0.1% (135)
Asian
8.6% (9,541)
Hawaiian
0.9% (976)
Other
0.5% (593)
Two Or More
4.3% (4,761)
Hispanic
36.4% (40,190)

Costa Mesa is:

  • 47.6% White with 52,663 White residents.

  • 1.5% African American with 1,679 African American residents.

  • 0.1% American Indian with 135 American Indian residents.

  • 8.6% Asian with 9,541 Asian residents.

  • 0.9% Hawaiian with 976 Hawaiian residents.

  • 0.5% Other with 593 Other residents.

  • 4.3% Two Or More with 4,761 Two Or More residents.

  • 36.4% Hispanic with 40,190 Hispanic residents.

Race Costa Mesa CA USA
White 47.6% 34.6% 58.2%
African American 1.5% 5.3% 12.0%
American Indian 0.1% 0.3% 0.5%
Asian 8.6% 15.1% 5.7%
Hawaiian 0.9% 0.3% 0.2%
Other 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Two Or More 4.3% 4.1% 3.9%
Hispanic 36.4% 39.8% 19.0%

Gender in Costa Mesa

Female
49.0% (54,149)
Male
51.0% (56,389)
  • Costa Mesa is 49.0% female with 54,149 female residents.

  • Costa Mesa is 51.0% male with 56,389 male residents.

Gender Costa Mesa CA USA
Female 49.0% 50.0% 50.5%
Male 51.0% 50.0% 49.5%

Highest level of educational attainment in Costa Mesa for adults over 25

  • 6.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed < 9th grade.

  • 6.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed 9-12th grade.

  • 17.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed high school / ged.

  • 20.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed some college.

  • 7.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed associate's degree.

  • 31.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed bachelor's degree.

  • 9.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed master's degree.

  • 3.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed professional degree.

  • 1.0% of adults in Costa Mesa completed doctorate degree.

< 9th Grade
6.0% (6,632)
9-12th Grade
6.0% (6,632)
High School / GED
17.0% (18,791)
Some College
20.0% (22,107)
Associate's Degree
7.0% (7,737)
Bachelor's Degree
31.0% (34,266)
Master's Degree
9.0% (9,948)
Professional Degree
3.0% (3,316)
Doctorate Degree
1.0% (1,105)
Education Costa Mesa CA USA
< 9th Grade 6.0% 8.0% 5.0%
9-12th Grade 6.0% 7.0% 6.0%
High School / GED 17.0% 20.0% 26.0%
Some College 20.0% 20.0% 19.0%
Associate's Degree 7.0% 8.0% 9.0%
Bachelor's Degree 31.0% 22.0% 21.0%
Master's Degree 9.0% 10.0% 10.0%
Professional Degree 3.0% 3.0% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 1.0% 2.0% 2.0%

Household Income For Costa Mesa, California

  • 2.8% of households in Costa Mesa earn Less than $10,000.

  • 1.7% of households in Costa Mesa earn $10,000 to $14,999.

  • 4.1% of households in Costa Mesa earn $15,000 to $24,999.

  • 3.9% of households in Costa Mesa earn $25,000 to $34,999.

  • 7.9% of households in Costa Mesa earn $35,000 to $49,999.

  • 11.9% of households in Costa Mesa earn $50,000 to $74,999.

  • 12.3% of households in Costa Mesa earn $75,000 to $99,999.

  • 20.5% of households in Costa Mesa earn $100,000 to $149,999.

  • 13.1% of households in Costa Mesa earn $150,000 to $199,999.

  • 21.8% of households in Costa Mesa earn $200,000 or more.

Less than $10,000
2.8% (309,085)
$10,000 to $14,999
1.7% (188,797)
$15,000 to $24,999
4.1% (454,600)
$25,000 to $34,999
3.9% (431,498)
$35,000 to $49,999
7.9% (874,680)
$50,000 to $74,999
11.9% (1,312,021)
$75,000 to $99,999
12.3% (1,357,959)
$100,000 to $149,999
20.5% (2,261,318)
$150,000 to $199,999
13.1% (1,448,773)
$200,000 or more
21.8% (2,415,064)
Income Costa Mesa CA USA
Less than $10,000 2.8% 4.4% 4.9%
$10,000 to $14,999 1.7% 3.0% 3.6%
$15,000 to $24,999 4.1% 5.2% 6.6%
$25,000 to $34,999 3.9% 5.5% 6.8%
$35,000 to $49,999 7.9% 8.4% 10.4%
$50,000 to $74,999 11.9% 13.3% 15.7%
$75,000 to $99,999 12.3% 11.8% 12.7%
$100,000 to $149,999 20.5% 17.9% 17.4%
$150,000 to $199,999 13.1% 11.1% 9.3%
$200,000 or more 21.8% 19.4% 12.6%

Articles About California

Enjoy The Snack?