What used to be a semi-rural city, Costa Mesa is located in Orange County, California, and offers an alternative lifestyle for those not interested in the more urban real estate of Los Angeles County. The 2010 U.S. Census reported that 109,960 residents called the previous farming community home. While the state's population grew 10 percent between 2000 and 2010, The population of Costa Mesa only increased 1.1 percent.
The data collected in 2010 shows there were 42,120 housing units at an average density of 2,682.9 per square mile, of which owners occupied 15,799. Information from the census also indicated that the median value of owner-occupied housing units was well above the statewide median value of $458,500 reaching $644,900.
Despite having a history as a rural area, the city of Costa Mesa is now home to many families and the 2010 Census listed the median age of residents as between 33 and 34 years old. Additionally, 21.5 percent of the population was under the age of 18 while 9.2 percent of residents were 65 years of age or older.