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Orange County

#5 in Best Counties to Live in California
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • County in California
  • 137 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    D
  4. Nightlife
    A+
  5. Good for Families
    A
  6. Diversity
    A+
  7. Jobs
    B-
  8. Weather
    A+
  9. Cost of Living
    D-
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A+
  12. Commute
    B-
View Full Report Card
Orange County is located in California with a population of 3,155,816. Orange County is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Orange County offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Orange County there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Orange County and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Orange County are highly rated.
Population
3,155,816

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$620,500
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,693
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    43%
  • Own
    57%
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Orange County Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    130.2
    282.7
  • Murder
    2
    6.1
  • Rape
    26.2
    40.7
  • Robbery
    80.2
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    323
    500.1
  • Theft
    1,471
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    279.3
    284
Home Security Options for Orange County
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A+
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    12%
  • 10-17 years
    11%
  • 18-24 years
    10%
  • 25-34 years
    14%
  • 35-44 years
    13%
  • 45-54 years
    14%
  • 55-64 years
    12%
  • 65+ years
    14%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    14%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    25%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    28%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    17%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    15%
    13%

Working in Orange County

Jobs
B-
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$81,851
National
$55,322
Search for Jobs in Orange County
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

    Orange County Reviews

    137 reviews
    All Categories
    I appreciate the diversity of ideas and people. We have competitive schools, relatively low crime, and fun--Disneyland! Regarding the political spectrum, the traditionally conservative county has recently shifted left, as evidenced by the 2018 midterms. However, it is still a wealthy community and I think people are very materialistic, which may not be healthy. The cost of living is tremendously high (the cost of my house can buy a house 3x as large in Texas). Our problems with homelessness and other types of people in need are often overlooked by the vast amounts of wealth held by our residents.
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    I have lived in Orange county my entire life and have no complaints. I was able to get a quality education in the OC from preschool through college. Their public elementary, middle, high, and college level schools are amazing. Teachers are very open to all students and opinions. When people think of the OC they think arrogance or stuck up or not diverse but it is actually quite the opposite. There are areas such as little Arabia or Diamond Jamboree where you can experience specific cultures and their food. Schools have white, asian, black, latino, etc. Every ethnicity you can imagine is in the OC. It is extremely safe and family friendly. There isn't TOO much of a nightlife but that is okay because this is a place to raise a family. The beach is right in OC and the mountains are fairly close. Overall a great place to live!
    Orange County is a very special place for me. It's a small place where everyone is friendly and open to new folk. I love walking through my neighborhood and running on the bike trail. People are fairly active and although it may be small there are lots of great places to visit in town. There a tasty food places all around where you can snag a bite to eat for fairly cheap. I've lived in Orange for all my life and I cannot regret every living there. I love it and I love going to the orange circle where there are many antique shops! You can find some very interesting tattoo parlors and some tasty food all on one street! It's amzaing!