Residents say Orange County is too expensive, lacks affordable housing

Orange County is too expensive and lacks housing.

Aug. 11, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, Aug. 11. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

Poll says Orange County is too expensive.
U.S. women’s soccer takes gold.
California may help return stolen Nazi painting.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

High prices, housing are squeezing Orange County residents

Comedic actor Will Ferrell once said, “there’s nothing sexy about Orange County.”

The response was given in an 2003 interview about his upbringing in Irvine in which he noted the area was best known for “tract homes and big movie theaters.”

For many residents living in the state’s third most populous region, Orange County is attractive because of its quality of life, the weather, job market, school districts and access to high-quality healthcare.

That’s what respondents said in a UC Irvine poll released Friday.

They also told pollsters that despite those perks, more than a third are considering leaving the county for myriad reasons, including the high costs of housing and basic necessities, including food and gas.

In many ways, Orange County resembles much of Southern California, where young people struggle to purchase starter homes and those nearing retirement worry their money won’t go as far as they need.

West heads north

Brittany West planned to build a life with her fiancé and their new baby in Orange County, a place that’s lauded as ideal for raising children.

But it’s become more difficult to make ends meet, even though West and her fiancé, Ben, both have solid incomes.

Modest rent hikes on their Irvine condominium, higher prices for basic goods and costly child care for their 9-month-old son have pushed the couple to start planning to abandon Orange County for more affordable digs in the Sacramento area.

It’s a move they’ve long resisted, but they see few other viable options.

“We don’t want to leave. It’s beautiful here. Our friends are here. My fiancé’s family is here. We’ve built a community in Orange County,” West, 32, said. “We just can’t afford to live here.”

What do the numbers say?

More than 50% of poll respondents are considered “potential leavers,” with women, people younger than 40, nonwhite residents and those without a college education being more likely to depart than others.

Among people who have considered leaving Orange County, 78% list the cost of housing as a very important factor. The cost of living was a close second at 76%, ahead of other quality-of-life issues including taxes, crime, traffic, the job market, the political climate and proximity to family outside the region, according to the poll.

Even those who have recently moved to the county say that the cost of housing is a serious problem. Among recent arrivals surveyed, 71% cited the lack of affordable housing as their biggest issue, ahead of traffic, homelessness, local leadership, taxes, over-development and crime.

Rental prices in Orange County jumped 22% in 2021 before leveling out a year later and increasing modestly in 2023. Prices have been on the rise again this year, according to data from Apartment List.

In Irvine, the average price for a one-bedroom rental in August is more than $2,500 per month, up just under 1% from last year. In Anaheim, the median rent for a one-bedroom is just under $2,000 and is up 1.8% from 2023.

“What the poll is telling us is there’s a giant storm that’s brewing that may very well unleash itself on the county with the problem of the lack of affordable housing,” said UCI School of Social Ecology Dean Jon Gould, who spearheaded the poll.

What can be done?

The state has been pushing cities to build more homes, with lawmakers requiring local governments to allow increased housing development and density. Nevertheless, the shortage remains acute.

In 2020, the Southern California Assn. of Governments directed Orange County to zone for about 183,000 additional units. Many cities have pushed back, arguing that so many more homes will more rapidly urbanize their suburban communities.

“Orange County is a place people want to be,” Gould said, “and I guess what’s surprising is we have not yet seen across the county the kind of coordinated leadership to address the issues that are potentially driving people away.”

For more on the issue, check out the latest from reporter Hannah Fry.

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

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How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

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Margaritas POI 2024

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L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

The next day I apologize to him over Instagram. I never got his number. I tell him that I had a great time, but I don’t think we have enough in common. “I think we have more in common than you think. I’m always here if you change your mind.” A few hours later, he sends me the selfie he took. Beside him, I look like his teenage daughter, and in a sick way, that makes me happy.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

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