Orange County vs San Diego County
A side-by-side comparison of Orange County and San Diego County: population, income, housing, and more.
Orange County and San Diego County are counties in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
San Diego County has the higher population (3,282,782 vs 3,164,063 in Orange County). Orange County has the higher median household income ($113,702 vs $102,285 in San Diego County). Orange County has the higher median home value ($915,500 vs $791,600 in San Diego County).
Population, income & housing
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,164,063 | 3,282,782 |
| Median age | 39.1 yrs | 37.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $113,702 | $102,285 |
| Median home value | $915,500 | $791,600 |
| Median gross rent | $2,352 | $2,154 |
| Housing units | 1,138,473 | 1,240,607 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.4% | 54.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.4% | 42.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,168,044 → 3,164,063 (-0.1%) | 3,316,073 → 3,282,782 (-1.0%) |
| Median household income | $90,234 → $113,702 (+26.0%) | $78,980 → $102,285 (+29.5%) |
| Median home value | $679,300 → $915,500 (+34.8%) | $563,700 → $791,600 (+40.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,854 → $2,352 (+26.9%) | $1,658 → $2,154 (+29.9%) |
Orange County
3,168,0443,164,063
$90,234$113,702
$679,300$915,500
$1,854$2,352
San Diego County
3,316,0733,282,782
$78,980$102,285
$563,700$791,600
$1,658$2,154
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.7% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.9% | 15.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.0% | 9.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 16.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 14.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.1% | 11.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 8.9% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 6.2% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 37.7% | 43.2% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 4.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 21.7% | 11.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 34.1% | 34.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 13.1% | 11.0% |
| High school graduate | 17.2% | 17.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 26.3% | 29.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 27.3% | 25.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 16.1% | 16.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 69.4% | 67.6% |
| Carpooled | 9.0% | 8.2% |
| Public transit | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Walked | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 16.6% | 16.9% |
| Other means | 1.5% | 1.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 49.5% | 50.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 12.8% | 10.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.8% | 13.4% |
| 20 or more units | 15.4% | 16.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.7% | 3.5% |
Poverty & households
| Orange County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| Average household size | 2.90 | 2.74 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1977 | 1980 |
Full profiles
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