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- 3.2M Residents
- $273B County GDP
- $85,686 GDP per Capita
Orange County
Orange County
Orange County is the third-most populous county in California with about 3.2 million residents, a $300B+ regional economy, and an unusually high concentration of master-planned communities, beach cities, and white-collar employment. Major cities include Anaheim, Santa Ana (the county seat), Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach. The county is a leader in tourism (Disneyland), tech, biomedical, and finance.
Property in Orange
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Orange.
Orange County's housing market is one of the most competitive in the country, with median home prices well above state averages and very low days-on-market. The Assessor administers Prop 13 and Prop 19, including the inheritance and senior transfer rules that significantly impact OC homeowners given the county's high property values. Homeowners' exemption ($7,000) is straightforward to claim.
Investing in Orange.
OC investors face high acquisition prices but compensating long-term appreciation and strong tenant demand. Coastal cities (Newport, Huntington, Laguna) command premium rents, while more affordable inland markets (Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove) offer better cash flow. Most cities have not adopted rent control beyond AB 1482, but tenant just-cause protections still apply.
After a Orange foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Non-judicial trustee sales for Orange County are typically held at the front steps of the Civic Center in Santa Ana or at the location specified in the Notice of Trustee Sale. The OC Treasurer-Tax Collector holds an annual online tax-defaulted property auction through Bid4Assets, generally in late winter or spring. Auction parcels often include desert and remote properties that warrant careful access and zoning review.
Courts and records in Orange.
The Superior Court of California, County of Orange operates from the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana plus branches in Westminster, Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Lamoreaux (juvenile/family). The Clerk-Recorder maintains real property records through the RecorderWorks portal, and vital records and marriage license services are available at multiple branch offices.