PART OF THE MADDING CROWD

By 1990, Orange County will have 2,885 residents per square mile, an 18% increase since 1980. Although the percentage increase of the density rate will decelerate (just less than 13% between 1990 and the end of the century), the rate itself will climb to 3,257 per square mile by the year 2,000.

If demographers are correct, Stanton will be the county’s most densely populated city, with 9,576 people per square mile. That’s not nearly as crowded as New York City, for example (23,591 residents per square mile), or as commodious as Honolulu (1,305) or, for that matter, Los Angeles (6,628). At century’s end, San Juan Capistrano will be the county’s roomiest city, at 2,356. How long that will last is uncertain, though, as San Juan’s density rate will increase 28% from 1990 to 2000, the biggest percentage jump during that period for any city. Here is a list of projected density rates in 1990 and 2000, listed in order of the largest percentage increases for that period:

1990 2000 1990-2000 City * Density * Density % Change San Juan Capistrano 1,839 2,356 +28.1 Tustin 4,635 5,640 +21.7 San Clemente 1,994 2,393 +20.0 Yorba Linda 2,627 3,132 +19.2 Irvine 2,333 2,748 +17.8 Placentia 6,280 7,270 +15.7 TOTAL COUNTY 2,885 3,257 +12.9 Brea 3,300 3,728 +12.9 Orange 4,608 5,099 +10.7 Anaheim 5,650 6,159 +9.0 Mission Viejo 4,699 5,117 +8.9 Huntington Beach 6,893 7,476 +8.5 Seal Beach 2,545 2,707 +6.4 Newport Beach 4,363 4,600 +5.4 Los Alamitos 2,929 3,063 +4.6 Costa Mesa 6,222 6,499 +4.5 Stanton 9,219 9,576 +3.9 Buena Park 6,457 6,682 +3.5 Santa Ana 8,548 8,781 +2.7 Westminster 7,127 7,282 +2.2 Cypress 6,822 6,967 +2.1 Fullerton 4,875 4,976 +2.0 Laguna Beach 3,212 3,244 +1.0 Fountain Valley 5,678 5,627 -1.0 La Habra 6,860 6,767 -1.4 La Palma 8,168 8,048 -1.5 Garden Grove 7,481 7,350 -1.8 Villa Park 3,338 3,262 -2.3

* Projected number of people per square mile

Sources: California Department of Finance, Population Research Unit; Environmental Management Agency, Surveyor/Boundary Unit