Ethnicity and Age

Orange County is a racially and ethnically diverse region:

• 64.6% of Orange County residents self-identify as Non-Hispanic White, followed by 23.4% Hispanic (who may be of any race), and 20.7% Asian/Pacific Islander.
• 1.5% of residents are African American, another 2.2% are two or more races, and 0.4% are American Indian/Alaska Native or any other single race.

Orange County has a substantially higher proportion of foreign-born residents (30.3%) than the national average (13%) and only slightly higher than the statewide average (27%):

• Among Orange County residents at least five years of age or older, 45% speak a language other than English at home.
• Of those, the majority speak Spanish (59%) followed by Asian/Pacific Islander languages (31%), and other Indo-European languages (9%). The remaining 1% speak some other language.

In 2010, Orange County’s median age was 36 years:

• This is slightly younger than the national median age of 37 years.14
• The 2000 Census reported Orange County’s median age was 33 years, indicating an aging population.
• In 2019, 22% of Orange County’s population was under 18 years of age, 10% were between 18-24, 25% were between 24-44, 27% were between 45-64, and 16% were 65 years and older.

Average Household Size

The average household size in Orange County is 2.97 persons:

• Among the more than 3,000 counties in the nation, only 196 had an average household size larger than Orange County’s.
• Orange County’s average household size is larger than California (2.89) and the United States (2.59).

Density

Census 2010 data shows Orange County remains one of the most densely populated areas in the United States, ranking 18th among all counties in the nation:

• Orange County’s population density in 2019 was 4,033 persons per square mile.
• Population density is much lower in unincorporated areas (439 persons per square mile), which include large areas of parkland and open space.

Land Use

Orange County covers 798 square miles of land, including 42 miles of coastline:

• A substantial portion (27%) of the county’s land is devoted to various types of residential housing.
• Approximately a quarter (24%) of the county’s land is classified “Governmental/Public,” including open space and parks.
• Transportation infrastructure (e.g. roads, rails) accounts for 12% of county land, followed by 10% devoted to commercial and industrial uses.
• About one-fifth of county land is classified as “Uncommitted,” meaning it is either vacant or there is no data available.

For more facts and figures about Orange County and its 34 cities, visit the Center for Demographic Research at Cal State Fullerton.