Orange County vs San Bernardino County
A side-by-side comparison of Orange County and San Bernardino County: population, income, housing, and more.
Orange County and San Bernardino County are counties in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Orange County has the higher population (3,164,063 vs 2,187,816 in San Bernardino County). Orange County has the higher median household income ($113,702 vs $82,184 in San Bernardino County). Orange County has the higher median home value ($915,500 vs $475,000 in San Bernardino County).
Population, income & housing
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,164,063 | 2,187,816 |
| Median age | 39.1 yrs | 34.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $113,702 | $82,184 |
| Median home value | $915,500 | $475,000 |
| Median gross rent | $2,352 | $1,706 |
| Housing units | 1,138,473 | 738,535 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.4% | 61.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.4% | 22.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 7.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,168,044 → 3,164,063 (-0.1%) | 2,149,031 → 2,187,816 (+1.8%) |
| Median household income | $90,234 → $113,702 (+26.0%) | $63,362 → $82,184 (+29.7%) |
| Median home value | $679,300 → $915,500 (+34.8%) | $328,200 → $475,000 (+44.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,854 → $2,352 (+26.9%) | $1,283 → $1,706 (+33.0%) |
Orange County
3,168,0443,164,063
$90,234$113,702
$679,300$915,500
$1,854$2,352
San Bernardino County
2,149,0312,187,816
$63,362$82,184
$328,200$475,000
$1,283$1,706
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 6.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.9% | 19.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.0% | 9.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 15.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 11.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 7.7% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 4.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 37.7% | 25.6% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 7.6% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 21.7% | 7.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 34.1% | 54.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 13.1% | 17.9% |
| High school graduate | 17.2% | 27.8% |
| Some college or associate's | 26.3% | 31.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 27.3% | 14.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 16.1% | 8.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 69.4% | 75.2% |
| Carpooled | 9.0% | 11.0% |
| Public transit | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Walked | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 16.6% | 10.0% |
| Other means | 1.5% | 1.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 49.5% | 69.9% |
| 1-unit, attached | 12.8% | 4.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.7% | 6.1% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.8% | 5.9% |
| 20 or more units | 15.4% | 7.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.7% | 5.7% |
Poverty & households
| Orange County | San Bernardino County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| Average household size | 2.90 | 3.21 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 33 |
| Median year structure built | 1977 | 1983 |
Full profiles
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