What HUD offices serve Costa Mesa, California?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Costa Mesa.
How many renters live in Costa Mesa, California?
The City of Costa Mesa has people living in households.
There are renters living in renter households in this City. Renters make up 60.53 percent of the population living in Costa Mesa.
What is the rental market like in Costa Mesa, California?
There are an estimated housing units in the Costa Mesa area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Costa Mesa, California, there are 0.92 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Costa Mesa?
The rental vacancy rate in Costa Mesa is 3 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Costa Mesa for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Costa Mesa
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,683 | 6,873 | 11,347 | 3,629 | 1,191 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Costa Mesa
A large number of apartments in Costa Mesa have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How Much Is Rent in Costa Mesa
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,200 to $4,467. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $2,200 |
| One BR | $2,344 |
| Two BR | $2,783 |
| Three BR | $3,769 |
| Four BR | $4,467 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Costa Mesa, California
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Costa Mesa?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 689 | 41 percent |
| One BR | 1,121 | 16 percent |
| Two BR | 819 | 7 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Costa Mesa, California
How many affordable rental units are in Costa Mesa?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Costa Mesa, California including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Costa Mesa, California
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa features 381 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Costa Mesa, California
There are 14 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Costa Mesa.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Costa Mesa, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Costa Mesa landlords $1,400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Costa Mesa.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Costa Mesa, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,505 and $3,061.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.