Brittany West had planned to settle down with her fiancé and their newborn baby in Orange County, a place considered ideal for raising children.
But even though West and her fiancé, Ben, both have good incomes, it has become difficult to make ends meet. A modest rent increase on an Irvine condominium, high prices for basic goods and expensive child care for their 9-month-old son have forced the couple to plan to leave Orange County for more affordable housing in the Sacramento area.
This is a move they have long opposed, but they see no other viable alternative.
“We don’t want to leave here. It’s such a beautiful place. Our friends are here. My fiancé’s family is here. We’ve built a community in Orange County,” said West, 32. “We can’t afford to stay here.”
The couple’s story is a familiar one in Southern California, where young people struggle to buy starter homes and those nearing retirement worry their money won’t last as long as they need it to.
A The UC Irvine survey was released Friday indicated that more than a third of Orange County residents are actively considering moving. The main reason? The high cost of housing and basic necessities, including food and gas.
The survey found that overall, more than 50% of respondents are considered “potential dropouts,” with women, people under the age of 40, Black residents, and people without a college education more likely to drop out than others.
In California migration of residents to other states for more than two decades. In Orange County, however, residents are moving within California more often than they are moving to places like Texas and Arizona.
“Contrary to what some people think, we’re not seeing people move to other states because there’s something wrong with California,” said John Gould, dean of the UCI School of Social Ecology. “What the survey is telling us is that there’s a big storm coming that could hit the county with a huge problem of a lack of affordable housing.”
Quality of life, weather, proximity to family and access to healthcare are among the top reasons people choose to live in the area – at least for now. But the desire for more affordable living has been strong.
A for sale sign in front of a home in Huntington Beach.
(Alan J. Shaben/Los Angeles Times)
Rental prices Orange County saw a 22% jump in 2021, stabilized a year later and saw modest growth in 2023. Prices are on the rise again this year, according to the data Apartment List.
In Irvine, the average rent for a one-bedroom in August is more than $2,500 per month, up just 1% from last year. In Anaheim, the average rent for a one-bedroom is just under $2,000 and is up 1.8% from 2023.
The two-bedroom condominium that West rents with his fiancée for $3,100 a month has begun to feel cramped since their son was born. The second bedroom is a combination home office and nursery for the couple.
“He’s 9 months old and starting to crawl,” West said. “We’re running out of here so fast.”
The couple, who want another child at some point, are looking at larger units in their complex and in other Orange County cities but can’t afford to pay several hundred dollars more per month. Buying a Home West said the problem is becoming more and more prevalent in Orange County.
In the Sacramento area, he found single-family homes with backyards for less than what he’s paying each month now.
Of those considering leaving Orange County, 78% cited housing costs as a very important factor. According to the survey, cost of living ranked second at 76%, ahead of other quality-of-life issues such as taxes, crime, traffic, the job market, the political climate and proximity to family outside the area.
Recent movers to the county also say the cost of housing is a serious problem. 71% of recent movers said a lack of affordable housing is their biggest problem, ahead of traffic, homelessness, local leadership, taxes, overdevelopment and crime.
“We 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, and we need to build more housing units at all ends of the spectrum — homeownership opportunities, apartments and rentals at all different income levels.”
The result is likely to be a continuation of current trends, including declining state aid to local schools due to declining enrollment. Traffic congestion is increasing Walrod said that’s because of the greater number of workers coming in from other sectors, and that’s creating challenges for companies trying to retain employees.
The state is pressuring cities to build more homes, with lawmakers demanding that local governments allow for increased housing development and density. Still, the shortage remains severe.
In 2020, the Southern California Association of Governments directed Orange County to consider zoning for approximately 183,000 additional units. Many cities have pushed backThey argue that so many more homes would lead to rapid urbanisation of suburban communities.
“Orange County is a place where people want to live, and I think what’s surprising is that we haven’t yet seen the kind of coordinated leadership in the county to address the issues that are potentially driving people away,” Gould said.
Even people who were able to buy homes in Orange County decades ago are feeling the pinch. This is of particular concern for residents who are entering retirement age.
Ronnie Shaver, 66, spent most of his life in Orange County, where he took over his father’s automotive repair shop in Santa Ana. But when he started to slow down a bit, he realized his money could be better spent outside of Orange County.
So Shaver and his wife sold their home in Ladera Ranch and moved to a suburb west of Knoxville, Tennessee. Although he misses his community in Orange County and the sunny, mild climate, he’s sure he’ll never go back.
“We now have a house four times bigger, built on a bigger lot, paid off and with money in the bank,” Shaver said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
