About Orange County
Almost 800,000 Asian Americans and over 22,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders live in Orange County. It is home to the third largest Asian American population in California and the U.S. It is also home to the largest Vietnamese population in the U.S.
Orange County transformed from a predominantly homogenous county to one where Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) make up 26% of the population. From 2010 to 2020, the number of AANHPIs in Orange County grew by 47%. In contrast, the county-wide population only grew by 6%.
Orange County is an epicenter of economic growth. Asian Americans have made significant contributions to this growth with over 78,000 Asian American-owned businesses generating over $25 billion in revenue. Despite this economic prosperity, Orange County is a vast metropolitan area with significant unmet needs. 59% of the AANHPI population in Orange County are immigrants born outside of the US with more than 35% being limited English proficient. 11% of the AANHPI population is uninsured while 12% live below the poverty line.
While Asian American registered voters in the county are casting ballots at record numbers, the gap between registered and potential voters remains significant. Only 230,000 Asian Americans or 14% of the county’s electorate were registered to vote in 2012.
You can read more about Orange County in our “Community of Contrasts” report.