PolicyLink and PERE
18
An Equity Profile of Orange County
Highlights
• Orange County, when compared to the 150 largest
regions, is the 18
th
most diverse region.
• The region has experienced dramatic growth and change
over the past several decades, with the share of people
of color increasing from 22 percent in 1980 to 58
percent in 2016.
• People of color will drive growth and change in the
region; this growth will outpace national demographic
shifts through 2050.
• Since 1990 Latino populations have doubled in six of the
top ten most populous cities in Orange County while
Asian American/Pacific Islander (API) populations have
doubled in four.
• There is a large racial generation gap between the
County's largely white senior population and its diverse
youth population. Orange County's racial generation gap
is larger than the national average; the region ranks 25th
among the 150 largest regions on this measure.
People of color:
Demographics
Diversity rank (out of
the 150 largest regions):
58%
#18
Who lives in the region and how is this changing?
Racial generation gap:
34
percentage
points
