Figures Draw a Profile of Populations

South Orange County residents are a bit older, wealthier, come from slightly smaller households and are considerably fewer in number than their neighbors in North County, according to estimates by National Planning Data Corp., a Los Angeles-based research firm.

South County--generally that area south of the Costa Mesa Freeway--has 554,585 residents, less than a third of North County’s 1,671,814 people.

South County, however, has grown considerably faster, with a 34% increase in population since the 1980 census. In the same period, the number of people in North County has grown by 14%.

National Planning Data uses the 1980 census and tracks demographic changes to estimate the current population and socioeconomic factors.

The average age is 32.3 years in North County compared to 35.8 years in South County, according to the firm’s estimates.

But in years past, both regions of the county were younger, as was the case with the nation as a whole. The median age in South County was 32.3 years in 1980. The North County has aged much faster. Nine years ago its median age was 28.7 years.

More North County residents than South County residents are younger than 18 years of age. Although it has a much smaller population, South County has a comparable number of residents over 75 years old, thanks in part to the Leisure World planned retirement community in Laguna Hills.

The South County has many fewer minorities than does the north, both in number and percentage of population.

Latinos account for 22.8% of North County residents. They represent only 8.7% of the South County population. Blacks account for 1.2% of the residents both in the north and south.

Overall, 85.3% of South County residents are white compared to 69.1% in the North County.

South County residents are nearly five times as likely to come from households with an annual family income in excess of $200,000. Accordingly, median family income in North County is $38,756 compared to $48,151 in the south.

And North County residents come from slightly larger households.

NORTH VS. SOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS

1970 1980 % Change Census Census 1970-1980 Population North 1,180,025 1,464,517 24.1 South 201,596 412,482 104.6 Households North 354,522 508,136 43.3 South 70,546 158,471 124.6 Total Income (Billions) North $4.3 $12.8 196.2 South $1.0 $5.2 400.4 Income--Per Capita North $3,653 $8,702 138.7 South $5,105 $12,520 145.2 Income--Average Household North $12,112 $24,967 106.1 South $14,409 $32,174 123.3 Income--Median Household North $11,265 $21,973 95.0 South $12,509 $25,839 106.6

NORTH VS. SOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS 1989 % Change 1994 % Change (Est.) 1980-89 (Projected) 1989-94 Population North 1,671,814 14.2 1,789,900 7.1 South 554,585 34.5 631,514 13.9 Households North 584,220 16.9 640,872 7.9 South 214,577 35.4 246,170 14.7 Total Income (Billions) North $26.0 103.7 $34.6 33.0 South $12.8 147.6 $18.5 44.8 Income--Per Capita North $15,580 78.5 $19,356 24.2 South $23,037 84.0 $29,301 27.2 Income--Average Household North $43,652 74.8 $53,909 23.5 South $58,812 82.8 $74,034 25.9 Income--Median Household North $38,756 76.4 $48,017 23.9 South $48,151 86.4 $62,818 30.5

NORTH VS. SOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS

Ethnic Backround 1980 1989 Census % (Est.) % North Total Persons 1,464,517 100.0 1,671,814 100.0 White (not Latino) 1,098,860 75.0 1,155,451 69.1 Black (not Latino) 19,327 1.3 20,429 1.2 Other (not Latino) 91,338 6.2 114,117 6.8 Latino 254,995 17.4 381,824 22.8 South Total Persons 412,484 100.0 554,585 100.0 White (not Latino) 366,224 88.8 478,907 85.3 Black (not Latino) 4,585 1.1 6,797 1.2 Other (not Latino) 16,809 4.1 26,952 4.9 Latino 24,863 6.0 47,992 8.7

NORTH VS. SOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS

Ethnic Backround 1994 % Change (Projected) % 1980-89 North Total Persons 1,789,900 100.0 14.2 White (not Latino) 1,168,240 65.3 5.1 Black (not Latino) 21,140 1.2 5.7 Other (not Latino) 125,678 7.0 24.9 Latino 474,326 26.5 49.7 South Total Persons 631,514 100.0 34.5 White (not Latino) 532,003 83.3 29.1 Black (not Latino) 7,823 1.2 48.2 Other (not Latino) 33,074 5.2 60.3 Latino 64,487 10.2 93.0

Source: 1989 Estimates and 1994 Projections by National Planning Data Corp.