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Costa Mesa City, California

Costa Mesa City, California

Incorporated place · Latest: 2024↓ R+9.3 vs 2020

Leans Democratic — shifted 9.3pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 112K residents

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Place Story

What defines Costa Mesa City

Methodology
Similarity Explorer

Similar cities

Nearest neighbors matched on the same place-page feature set used across the dossier system.
8 visible matches
Containing Geography

Located In

Costa Mesa City sits inside these higher-level geographies.
Historian Query

Ask the Historian

Explore Costa Mesa City's political evolution with the Historian
Race & Ancestry

Who Lives Here

A race-first Census view with ancestry expansion where source coverage is strong enough to support detail.
Costa Mesa CityCensus ACS 2024
Census race profile
Major Census race and ethnicity groups shown as a share of total population.
Expand rows for ancestry detail
White (Non-Hispanic) 48.4%Hispanic 36.5%Asian 8.7%Multiracial 3.5%Native American 1.3%Black 1.3%Native Hawaiian 0.4%
GroupCosta Mesa CityNational
White (Non-Hispanic)
48.4%57.4%
Hispanic / Latino
36.5%19.3%
Asian
8.7%6.0%
Multiracial / Other
3.5%4.0%
Native American / Alaska Native
1.3%0.9%
Black / African American
1.3%12.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.4%0.2%
Method notes

Census treats race and Hispanic/Latino origin as separate questions. Race categories other than Hispanic reflect total populations (small Hispanic overlap in Black, Asian, AIAN, NHPI). “Multiracial / Other” is derived as a non-overlapping remainder.

Detailed ancestry data unavailable for this geography.

Who lives in Costa Mesa City? 111,918 residents as of the 2020 Census.

Demographic Comparison

Demographics

Read this geography's profile in three layers: local, state (where available), and national baseline.
Costa Mesa City vs National112K residents
Population & electorate

Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.

Total population
Local vs state vs U.S.
112K
local
112KNational 334.9M
Share of U.S. population
Local vs state vs U.S.
0.03%
local
0.03%National 100%
Voting-age population
Local vs state vs U.S.
80.8%
local
80.8%National 75.7%
Economic profile

Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.

Median household income
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational $83,960
Poverty rate
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 12.5%
College degree
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 35.6%
Homeownership
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 65.2%
Community profile

Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.

Median age
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 39.1 yrs
Age 18–29
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 15.7%
Age 65+
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 17.0%
Foreign born
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 14.1%
Non-English at home
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 22.2%
English only
Local vs state vs U.S.
N/A
local
N/ANational 77.8%
Voter Turnout

Turnout in Costa Mesa City

Estimated using 2020 Census voting-age population.
2024 Turnout
53.8%
vs Previous
-5.1pp
Voting-Age Pop
90,385
History
2008–2024
Competitiveness

How competitive is Costa Mesa City?

Lean DAvg margin: D+10.0 (last 3 elections)
2008
D+6.6
2012
R+1.3
2016
D+10.3
2020
D+14.5
2024
D+5.2
Elasticity
15.8pp
margin range
Party Flips
2
last 30 years
5-Elec Avg
D+7.1
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