Costa Mesa, California
Among the top 2% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 97% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 34% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 56% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 1% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Costa Mesa is a city in California with about 111,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and walkability. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and cost of living.
Official websitecostamesaca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Mild winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
comfortable
89%62%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.4 in0.0 in
humid 26%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$105k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$83kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$960k98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 5% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.67%better than 75% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.31%better than 2% of US places
Unemployment5.0%better than 39% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)58°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)73°F31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation11.2 in4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days256 daysbetter than 76% of US places
Summer Humidity60°Fbetter than 73% of US places
Comfortable Days316 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk64.7better than 51% of US places
Air Quality42 AQIbetter than 71% of US places
School Quality83.6better than 78% of US places
Violent Crime1580/100kbetter than 15% of US places
Property Crime3557/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Community
Population111,49099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age36.428th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6294th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0668th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)48.8%17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.3%60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)36.2%92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)8.7%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.0%71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 76% of US places
Walkability14.5/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance3 mibetter than 99% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.7%better than 82% of US places
Amenities Nearby74.72better than 48% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 32% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Costa Mesa an affordable place to live?
- Costa Mesa is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $83k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Costa Mesa?
- The median home value in Costa Mesa is $960k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Costa Mesa?
- Median household income in Costa Mesa is $105k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Costa Mesa?
- Median gross rent in Costa Mesa is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Costa Mesa safe?
- Costa Mesa is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1580/100k (better than 15%). Property crime is 3557/100k.
- What is the weather like in Costa Mesa?
- Costa Mesa averages 73°F in July and 58°F in January, with 11.2 in of annual precipitation and about 256 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Costa Mesa?
- Public-school quality in Costa Mesa is above average, scoring better than 78% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Costa Mesa?
- The average one-way commute in Costa Mesa is 22 min.
Other places in Orange County
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)