Orange County · California · West · 110k residents
Costa Mesa, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Costa Mesa: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Costa Mesa is $1,115,100, 57% above the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,492/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 165 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $111,505 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Costa Mesa is $1,115,100, 57.5% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Household income: Median household income is $111,505, 12.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Adult education: 45% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 38.9% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 10.0 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
An Orange County arts and design city with surf culture close by and a serious food scene.
Known for: South Coast Plaza, Segerstrom Center, design, food, and coastal access.
Calendar note: The Pacific Symphony and Orange County Fair calendars shape the summer.
Story source: Travel Costa Mesa
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Costa Mesa about 5 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 260 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 29 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Costa Mesa side by side
Cost of living index
165
ACS median home value
$1,115,100
2-bedroom rent
$2,492/mo
Median household income
$111,505
Housing momentum
How fast Costa Mesa's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
65/100
Steady
Ranks Costa Mesa's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Costa Mesa's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $1,115,100 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,221/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,492/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 165 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $111,505 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 110k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 79°F |
| January low | 49°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +4.4% |
| Home price MoM | +0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +1.9% |
| Rent MoM | -0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 5 mi |
| Big lake | 211 mi |
| Mountains | 38 mi |
| Major airport | < 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 44 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Fountain Valley, CA · 56k
- Newport Beach, CA · 84k
- Santa Ana, CA · 313k
- Huntington Beach, CA · 195k
- Tustin, CA · 79k
Similar size
- Menifee, CA · 110k
- Santa Maria, CA · 110k
- San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA · 110k
- Downey, CA · 111k
- Temecula, CA · 111k
Real listings in Costa Mesa
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Costa Mesa, CA?
- Costa Mesa indexes at 165 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,492/mo and a acs median home value of $1,115,100.
- How much does a house cost in Costa Mesa?
- The acs median home value in Costa Mesa is $1,115,100, 57% above the California median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Costa Mesa?
- A two-bedroom in Costa Mesa rents for about $2,492/mo.