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Orange County Communities Income Ranking

Complete Orange County Communities Income Ranking

All Cities and Unincorporated Areas

Income gap between highest (Coto de Caza: $232,470) and lowest (Laguna Woods: $60,235) communities: $172,235

Understanding Orange County’s Community Structure

Orange County contains 34 incorporated cities that govern themselves, plus numerous unincorporated communities (Census Designated Places) governed directly by the county. Some of the most affluent areas—including Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, and Rancho Mission Viejo—remain unincorporated by choice, often preferring private community governance and county oversight to municipal incorporation.

Complete Community Rankings by Median Household Income

Ultra-High Income Communities $180,000+

  • 1. Coto de Caza (Unincorporated CDP) $232,470
  • 2. Trabuco Canyon (Unincorporated CDP) $221,458
  • 3. Villa Park (Incorporated City) $204,750
  • 4. Las Flores (Unincorporated CDP) $196,250
  • 5. North Tustin (Unincorporated CDP) $186,250
  • 6. Ladera Ranch (Unincorporated CDP) $184,257
  • 7. Rancho Mission Viejo (Unincorporated CDP) $181,111

High Income Communities $120,000-$179,999

  • 8. Newport Beach (City) $158,461
  • 9. Yorba Linda (City) $152,060
  • 10. Rancho Santa Margarita (City) $146,827
  • 11. Laguna Niguel (City) $140,605
  • 12. Laguna Beach (City) $140,508
  • 13. Aliso Viejo (City) $137,970
  • 14. Mission Viejo (City) $136,071
  • 15. San Clemente (City) $134,735
  • 16. Lake Forest (City) $131,378
  • 17. Irvine (City) $129,647
  • 18. San Juan Capistrano (City) $127,893
  • 19. Dana Point (City) $127,246
  • 20. Brea (City) $124,837
  • 21. Cypress (City) $124,167
  • 22. Laguna Hills (City) $122,778
  • 23. Huntington Beach (City) $119,885

Upper-Middle Income Communities $100,000-$119,999

  • 24. Orange (City) $116,945
  • 25. La Palma (City) $115,833
  • 26. Fountain Valley (City) $111,797
  • 27. Placentia (City) $110,575
  • 28. Costa Mesa (City) $110,073
  • 29. Tustin (City) $108,435
  • 30. Buena Park (City) $108,187
  • 31. Fullerton (City) $104,219

Middle Income Communities $80,000-$99,999

  • 32. Los Alamitos (City) $98,539
  • 33. La Habra (City) $98,158
  • 34. Anaheim (City) $90,583
  • 35. Garden Grove (City) $90,166
  • 36. Silverado Canyon (Unincorporated) $90,104
  • 37. Santa Ana (City) $88,354
  • 38. Seal Beach (City) $83,045
  • 39. Westminster (City) $82,686
  • 40. Stanton (City) $81,455

Lower Income Communities Under $80,000

  • 41. Midway City (Unincorporated CDP) $62,176
  • 42. Laguna Woods (City) $60,235

Notable Communities Without Complete Data

Emerald Bay (Unincorporated) – Ultra-exclusive gated oceanfront community; estimated $300,000+
Rossmoor (Unincorporated CDP) – Affluent planned community; estimated $120,000+
Orange Park Acres (Unincorporated) – Equestrian community; estimated $150,000+
Modjeska Canyon (Unincorporated CDP) – Rural mountain community
Santiago Canyon (Unincorporated) – Canyon community
El Modena (Unincorporated) – Historic barrio area

Geographic and Economic Patterns

Unincorporated communities dominate the highest income tiers. Seven of the top ten communities are unincorporated, with six exceeding $180,000 in median income. These master-planned developments and exclusive enclaves demonstrate how private governance and county oversight can attract ultra-high-net-worth residents.
South County commands premium incomes. Whether incorporated or unincorporated, communities in southern Orange County consistently outperform northern areas. The combination of newer development, planned communities, proximity to coast, and lower density creates ideal conditions for affluence.
Canyon communities show extreme variation. From ultra-wealthy Trabuco Canyon ($221,458) to rural Silverado Canyon ($90,104), the Santa Ana Mountain foothills contain both exclusive retreats and working-class communities, often separated by just a few miles.
Coastal location doesn’t guarantee wealth. While Newport Beach and Laguna Beach command high incomes, Seal Beach ($83,045) demonstrates that coastal access alone doesn’t ensure prosperity. Community character, development era, and demographics matter more than pure geography.

The Governance Advantage

Many of Orange County’s wealthiest communities choose to remain unincorporated, gaining several advantages:

  • Lower overall taxation Avoiding city-level taxes and fees
  • Private governance HOAs and community services districts handle local services
  • Development flexibility County processes often more streamlined than municipal bureaucracy
  • Exclusive character Maintaining private, gated community atmosphere
  • Service efficiency County provides regional services without local political complications

Conclusion

Orange County’s comprehensive income landscape reveals a county where governance structure, development timing, and location create dramatic wealth disparities. The $172,235 gap between Coto de Caza and Laguna Woods represents one of California’s most extreme income inequalities within a single county. Unincorporated master-planned communities consistently outperform traditional cities, suggesting that private governance models may be more effective at attracting and retaining high-income residents in Southern California’s competitive housing market.

The dominance of unincorporated areas in the highest income brackets challenges conventional assumptions about municipal services and governance, demonstrating that exclusive private communities with county oversight can achieve prosperity levels that even the most affluent incorporated cities struggle to match.

Data Sources: 2023 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, various demographic research sources. Some estimates provided for communities with limited or unavailable official data.