O.C. Population Rises a Modest 1.5% in 1998

Orange County’s population rose modestly in 1998, with the strongest growth shown in unincorporated areas, a state Department of Finance report said.

The county gained 41,100 new residents last year, a 1.5% increase, according to estimates in the annual report. With an estimated population of 2.8 million on Jan. 1, the county remains third in the state behind Los Angeles and San Diego. The state’s population rose 1.6% from a year earlier to about 33.8 million.

Santa Ana and Anaheim remained the ninth- and 10th-largest cities in the state, the report said. They posted modest population gains of 0.8% and 1.3%, respectively.

The two fastest-growing cities in California, Taft and Corcoran, are growing rapidly because of the expansion of the state prison system in their towns, state officials said.

Placentia, the 43rd-fastest growing city in the state, posted the highest percentage gain among Orange County cities by growing 3.8% to 49,150. Slowest growth in the county, at 0.1%, was reported in Tustin.

Placentia City Manager Robert D’Amato attributed the bump to the completion of about 400 single-family homes last year.

Although the city is nearly built out, D’Amato said he would like to see another 500 to 700 housing units built in the coming years to boost Placentia’s population to 50,000.

“We’d love to be 50,000,” D’Amato said. Crossing that population threshhold qualifies cities to go directly to the federal government for funding, instead of dealing through the county, D’Amato said.

San Juan Capistrano also posted a healthy growth spurt of 900 residents, or 2.9%, but City Manager George Scarborough said the numbers may be deceiving.

The city has been under a growth moratorium for a year, he said, although some developments long in the pipeline may have been included in the 1998 numbers.

“San Juan grows very slowly,” Scarborough said.

Growth was stronger in unincorporated Orange County, which showed a 4.5% population gain last year. Bill Gayk, director of the county’s Center for Demographic Research, said building blitzes in communities such as Aliso Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita likely accounted for the growth.

Having both established cities that are largely built out and unincorporated areas where construction is booming, Orange County offers a mixed environment for growth, Gayk said.

“We still have quite a bit of land,” he said. “We’re experiencing both sides of the coin.”

Only 27 California cities, none in Orange County, lost population in 1998.

The Department of Finance compiles its population estimates from the administrative records of 17 state and federal departments, as well as data from local jurisdictions.

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Growth Spurt

Orange County’s population rose slightly in 1998. The 1.5% increase was slightly below that recorded in several of the county’s cities as well as the state’s overall rate of 1.6%.

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County 1997 1998 change San Diego 2,795,800 2,853,300 2.1 Riverside 1,441,000 1,473,300 2.2 Los Angeles 9,587,300 9,757,500 1.8 Orange 2,734,500 2,775,600 1.5 San Bernardino 1,631,500 1,654,000 1.4 Ventura 732,700 742,000 1.3

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City 1997 1998 change Anaheim 302,500 306,300 1.3 Brea 36,050 36,400 1.0 Buena Park 74,900 75,900 1.3 Costa Mesa 104,700 105,600 0.9 Cypress 48,150 48,500 0.7 Dana Point 37,050 37,350 0.8 Fountain Valley 55,900 56,400 0.9 Fullerton 125,600 126,800 1.0 Garden Grove 155,100 156,500 0.9 Huntington Beach 193,300 196,700 1.8 Irvine 133,700 136,600 2.2 Laguna Beach 24,650 24,950 1.2 Laguna Hills 30,500 30,750 0.8 Laguna Niguel 58,100 59,200 1.9 La Habra 55,400 55,800 0.7 Lake Forest 58,900 59,400 0.8 La Palma 16,050 16,400 2.2 Los Alamitos 11,900 12,050 1.3 Mission Viejo 95,100 96,300 1.3 Newport Beach 73,000 74,000 1.4 Orange 125,600 127,600 1.6 Placentia 47,350 49,150 3.8 San Clemente 48,450 49,250 1.7 San Juan Capistrano 31,200 32,100 2.9 Santa Ana 312,600 315,000 0.8 Seal Beach 26,850 27,200 1.3 Stanton 33,600 33,850 0.7 Tustin 66,700 66,800 0.1 Villa Park 6,575 6,625 0.8 Westminster 85,200 86,200 1.2 Yorba Linda 60,500 61,800 2.1 Unincorporated areas 199,200 208,200 4.5

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Source: State Department of Finance