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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYThriving

Orange County, CA

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score68out of 100
Compare
78
66
49
65
94

Population

3,165,820

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+5.6% YoY

78

$351.8B

Output changed +5.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.8%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

66

3.7%

Unemployment is 3.7% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

-0.1% 5-year

49

3,165,820

Population moved -0.1% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population39,287,377
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

65

25.1%

Median rent consumes 25.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$2.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.3K per resident

94

$23.4B

$23.4B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$485.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$23.4B

$7.3K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$13.3B
2. Department of Health and Human Services$5.6B
3. Department of Defense$1.5B

Top recipients

Dollars
1. RIVIAN NEW HORIZON, LLC$497.2M
2. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE$349.0M
3. ANDURIL INDUSTRIES, INC.$345.2M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

25.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,996
2BR estimate$2,629
Median income$116,289
Median home value$962,600

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

3,165,820

Median age

39.4

Bachelor's degree+

44.1%

Poverty rate

9.5%

Labor force participation

65.6%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-0.0%

GDP CAGR

+5.5%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20203,170,345
20213,182,923
20223,175,227
20233,164,063
20243,165,820
GDP (5 years)
2020$268.8B
2021$293.9B
2022$315.4B
2023$333.1B
2024$351.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20243,165,820
20253,163,303 *
20263,160,512 *

R² = 33.4% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$351.8B
2025$374.1B *
2026$394.6B *

R² = 99.5% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$116,289/yr
Median rent$2,434/mo
Rent share of income25.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$58,409/yr
Mortgage share of income50.2%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.7%
State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation65.6%
Poverty rate9.5%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$962,600
Median monthly rent$2,434
Price-to-rent ratio33.0x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score67/100
Economic growth78/100
Labor market66/100
Population momentum49/100
Overall stability68/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Orange County, California

County

Part of

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Nearby locations

Irvine, CATustin, CALaguna Woods, CALake Forest, CANorth Tustin, CA