A-
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A-
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    C-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A-
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    C+
  8. Weather
    A+
  9. Cost of Living
    D
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A+
  12. Commute
    A
View Full Report Card
Population
112,377

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$606,900
National
$178,600
Median Rent
$1,570
National
$928
Area Feel
Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    62%
  • Own
    38%

Costa Mesa Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C+
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      185
      0
    • Murder
      1
      0
    • Rape
      47
      41
    • Robbery
      108
      0
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      615
      1
    • Theft
      3,135
      2,081
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      412
      0

    Residents

    Diversity
    A
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Median Household Income
    $66,459
    National
    $53,889
    Children
    18%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      11%
      11%
    • Bachelor's degree
      26%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      31%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      16%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      15%
      13%
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    • B-
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    • A+
      Irvine
      • City in California
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    • B
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    More

    Costa Mesa Reviews

    57 reviews
    All Categories
    I recently moved to the area of Costa Mesa in order to attend Orange Coast College. First off, I would like to say what a beautiful and spectacular area this is. I am fifteen minutes maximum away from a variety of beaches, the schools here are spectacular, and the homes always leave me in awe. The city is extremely clean and there are so many job opportunities here. Even though this looks and feels like an extremely safe area, there always seems to be an accident or cops dealing with situations that seem pretty ugly. However, I prefer seeing jobs doing their job than feeling unsafe in this city. Love calling this city home!
    Review Costa Mesa
    Living in Costa Mesa throughout my high school years was amazing, with many places to visit and great places to explore. In a decent small city, Costa Mesa had two high schools to choose from and a wonderful amount of elementary schools to start on. Also convenient with two local malls with movie theaters and the Orange County Fair right next to the Police Department with many events and shows to visit; also with the 55, 73, and 405 freeways being very close, it's more accessible to commute to other cities. There's also Orange Coast College with many programs and transferable classes along side Coastline Community College for many other programs to get accepted to and transfer to Univeristies nearby. Right next to the police department there's also Vanguard University that's private for Christian students with amazing sport teams available. With all the education, events, and local amusements, Costa Mesa is a wonderful city and will continue to be my home no matter where I move.
    Costa Mesa is Spanish for table on the coast. An appropriate name for a beautiful city that sits high up on cliffs overlooking the coastal cities of Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. I've lived in this beautiful city for about 30 years. The central location of Costa Mesa offers a great variety of activities and places to visit such as South Coast Plaza, just minutes from the beach, the Performing Arts Center, movie, several parks, three libraries, or even go bowling. As a city volunteer, I've worked closely with our outreach workers who care deeply about helping people in vulnerable circumstances. My city demonstrates how it cares for its own. California is known for great weather. In Costa Mesa, we enjoy cool breezes reaching from the coastline. I avoid complaining when it gets down to 50 degrees as doing so usually brings teasing from people who've experienced what cold actually is. Knowing my city so well brings me a lot of pride, it's really the best place possible to live.