Brittany West had planned to put down roots and build a life with her fiancé and new baby in Orange County, a place considered ideal for raising children.
But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet, even though West and her fiancé, Ben, have solid incomes. Modest rent increases on their Irvine condo, higher prices for basic goods and expensive child care for their 9-month-old son have pushed the couple to begin planning to possibly leave Orange County for more affordable housing in the Sacramento area.
It is a measure they have 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,” said West, 32. “We just can’t afford to live here.”
The couple's story is a common one in Southern California, where young people struggle to buy their first home and those approaching retirement worry that their money won't be enough to cover their needs.
A University of California, Irvine survey released Friday found that more than a third of Orange County residents are actively considering moving elsewhere. The main reasons? High costs of housing and basic necessities, including food and gas.
Overall, more than 50% of respondents are considered “potential defectors,” according to the survey, with women, people under 40, nonwhite residents and those without a college education more likely to leave than others.
California has been losing residents to other states for more than two decades. In Orange County, however, residents are moving more frequently within California than to places like Texas and Arizona.
“Contrary to what some people like to think, we’re not losing people to other states because there’s something wrong with California,” said Jon Gould, dean of UCI’s School of Social Ecology, who led the survey. “What the survey tells us is that there’s a giant storm brewing that could very well hit the county with the issue of the lack of affordable housing.”
Quality of life, climate, proximity to family and access to health care are among the top reasons people have decided to stay in the area, at least for the time being. But the pull of more affordable living has been strong.
A for sale sign in front of a home in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Orange County rental prices rose 22% in 2021 before leveling off a year later and increasing modestly in 2023. Prices have risen again this year, according to data from Apartment List.
In Irvine, the average rent price for a one-bedroom apartment 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 apartment is just under $2,000 and has increased by 1.8% since 2023.
The two-bedroom apartment West rents with her fiancé for about $3,100 a month has become cramped since their son was born. The second bedroom is a combination home office for the couple and nursery.
“He’s 9 months old and he’s just starting to crawl,” West said. “We’re leaving this place very quickly.”
The couple, who want to have another child at some point, have looked at larger units in their complex and in other Orange County cities, but paying several hundred dollars more a month isn't feasible for them. Their dream of buying a home in Orange County is increasingly out of reach, West said.
In the Sacramento area, they have found single-family homes with backyards for less than what they now pay each month.
Among people who have considered leaving Orange County, 78% consider housing costs a very important factor, according to the survey. Cost of living ranked second (76%), ahead of other quality-of-life factors such as taxes, crime, traffic, the job market, political climate and proximity to family outside the region.
Even recent movers to the county say housing costs are a serious problem. Among newcomers surveyed, 71 percent cited a lack of affordable housing as their biggest issue, ahead of traffic, homelessness, local leadership, taxes, overdevelopment and crime.
“We just haven’t built enough housing in Orange County,” said Wallace Walrod, chief economic adviser for the Orange County Business Council. “It’s very difficult to do so and we need to build more housing units at all ends of the spectrum — homeownership opportunities, apartments and rentals at all income levels.”
The result will likely be a continuation of current trends, including declining state aid to local schools due to lower enrollment, worsening traffic congestion as more workers commute from other regions and increasing challenges for businesses trying to retain employees, Walrod said.
The state has been pushing cities to build more housing, and lawmakers have required local governments to allow for greater housing development and density. But the shortage remains severe.
In 2020, the Southern California Association of Governments ordered Orange County to decide to build about 183,000 additional units. Many cities have objected, arguing that so much more housing will cause their suburban communities to urbanize more quickly.
“Orange County is a place where people want to be, and I think what’s surprising is that we haven’t yet seen across the county the kind of coordinated leadership to address the issues that are potentially driving people away,” Gould said.
Even those who were able to buy homes decades ago in Orange County are feeling the impact. This is a particular concern for residents approaching retirement age.
Ronny Shaver, 66, spent most of his life in Orange County, where he took over his father's auto repair shop in Santa Ana. But when he started thinking about slowing down a bit, he realized his money would go further outside of Orange County.
So Shaver and his wife sold their condo in Ladera Ranch and moved to a suburb west of Knoxville, Tennessee. Although he misses the community he had in Orange County and the sunny, temperate climate, he is certain he will never move again.
“We now have a house four times the size on a large lot that is already paid for and with money in the bank,” Shaver said. “It’s hard to top that.”
