Orange County’s Population

 A variety of figures are available for Orange County’s population over the years. The Federal census taken each ten years provides the best numbers (shown in bold); figures for other years are estimates, based on factors such as voter registration, utility connections, or number of housing units.  

In 1954 the county launched an annual “Progress Report,” which provides all sorts of demographic information. In 1996 the work was taken over by the Center for Demographic Research at CSU Fullerton in cooperation with the county and a number of other public agencies. Figures below beginning in 1951 generally come from the Progress Reports or the State Department of Finance. Earlier figures come from the sources cited.

 It is also interesting to look at the population predictions in some of these early sources as well. A report on the county’s future sewer needs in June 1947 estimated the current county population at about 200,000, and calculated that by 1990 it would hit 1,466,00 (which we reached by 1970). Current estimates from the Center for Demographic Research predict a local population of 3,461,453 by 2040.

 These varying population estimates can sometimes become controversial. County figures suggested that our population would hit 1,000,000 on September 30, 1963, and so Derek DeBano, born in Anaheim just after midnight that day was selected as Orange County’s “symbolic” one millionth resident. The one million mark was contested at the time, with the California Taxpayers Association estimated the county’s population at just 946,000 at the end of 1963. But county officials held firm. “It’s as close a guess as anyone can make, but it is an educated guess,” said County Supervisor Bill Hirstein. “It is not infrequent that counties are a little optimistic in their estimates,” the statistician for the Taxpayers Association replied (Orange Daily News, 1-16-1964). There were similar squabbles when the county claimed to pass 3,000,000 in population. 

 1850    500 (Jim Sleeper’s estimate)

 1876    4,200 (Anaheim Gazette, 11-11-1876, reports a total “voting population” of 1,408 in the local precincts, which can be quite conservatively tripled)

 1880    6,700 (6,497 = total for Anaheim, Fountain Valley, San Juan, Santa Ana, and Westminster townships [Silverado not included] – Anaheim Gazette, 7-23-1881)

1881    6,385 (not including Chinese – Anaheim Gazette, 1-29-1881)

1889    15-16,000 (my estimate, based on voter registation) 

1890    13,589

1897    21,547 (Los Angeles Herald, 4-25-1897) 

1900    19,696

1905    22,425 (Board of Supervisors minutes, 5-23-1905) 

1910    34,436

1912    40-45,000 (Santa Ana Register, 4-1-1912)

1915    56,819 (Santa Ana Register, 1-9-1915) 

1920    61,375

1924    91-96,000 (Santa Ana Register, 4-11-1924)

1927    94,815 (Huntington Beach News, 3-11-1927) 

1930    118,674

1936    129,000 (South Coast News, 12-4-1936)

1938    133,700 (South Coast News, 11-29-1938) 

1940    130,760

1941    130,900 (Orange Daily News, 9-23-1944)       

1942    145,000 (South Coast News, 12-29-1942)

1943    153,253 (Orange Daily News, 8-8-1946)

1944    163,023 (Orange Daily News, 7-26-1944)

1945    165,000 (Buena Park News, 1-2-1947)

1946    171,738 (Orange Daily News, 8-8-1946)

1947    171,400 (Buena Park News, 1-2-1947)

1948    173,000 (Buena Park News, 1-8-1948) 

1950    216,224

1951    237,610

1952    259,900

1953    295,910

1954    323,740

1955    434,820

1956    489,850

1957    537,660

1958    599,480

1959    688,920  

1960    703,925

1961    825,920

1962    924,580

1963    1,024,810

1964    1,110,210

1965    1,175,770

1966    1,235,700

1967    1,292,350

1968    1,349,700

1969    1,408,240  

1970    1,420,386

1971    1,531,350

1972    1,584,259

1973    1,646,314

1974    1,684,462

1975    1,729,294

1976    1,722,094 (Special Census)

1977    1,814,700

1978    1,854,800

1979    1,921,500  

1980    1,932,709 

1981    1,962,400

1982    2,002,200

1983    2,036,400

1984    2,110,610

1985    2,145,706

1986    2,195,652

1987    2,238,721

1988    2,279,354

1989    2,326,211  

1990    2,410,556

1991    2,451,688

1992    2,504,700

1993    2,557,300

1994    2,582,200

1995    2,614,800

1996    2,649,800

1997    2,705,300

1998    2,763,900

1999    2,842,400  

2000    2,846,289

2004    3,017,300

2005    2,956,847

2006    3,071,924

2007    2,960,659

2008    2,974,321

2009    2,990,805  

2010    3,010,232

2011    3,055,792

2012    3,071,933

2013    3,102,152

2014    3,126,918

2015    3,152,314

2016    3,172,222

2017    3,198,968

2018    3,185,968