Hot Take: The Best Part of Living in California Is Moving to Orange County

The “weather tax” is real, and plenty of people are happy to pay it.

I’d argue we have some of the best weather in the country. When you can spend so much of the year outside, it changes how you spend your days. Walking along the beach, meeting friends for dinner on a patio, or getting outside in the middle of winter becomes part of your regular routine.

For many people, that lifestyle is worth paying for. Having lived in Orange County for most of my life, I understand why.

Who Is Moving to Orange County?

We hear plenty about people moving away, but there’s another side of the conversation: the people who continue to make Orange County their home.

The IRS tracks migration through year-to-year address changes on tax returns, giving us a look at where people are coming from and where they’re going.

The latest available data covers 2022–2023. During that period:

• 61,291 people moved into Orange County from other California counties.
• 28,533 people moved into Orange County from other states.
• Together, that’s 89,824 arrivals from elsewhere in the United States.

These counts reflect individuals represented on matched tax returns, including dependents.

People leave Orange County, too. In that same period, the IRS recorded 111,565 people moving from OC to other U.S. counties. Arrivals are only one part of the picture, but nearly 90,000 people coming here is still a meaningful part of the story.

The numbers covering 2024 are forthcoming, and I expect we’ll see even more people coming to our great OC. That’s my prediction, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next release shows.

Why the “Weather Tax” Makes Sense to So Many People

Living here comes at a premium. Anyone who has looked at Orange County real estate knows that.

But when people decide where they want to live, they’re considering more than a house. They’re thinking about how they want to spend their time, what they want close by, and what their everyday life could look like.

Here, the weather gives us more opportunities to enjoy the place we call home. You don’t have to save every beach walk or outdoor dinner for a vacation. You can fit those things into an ordinary week.

That doesn’t mean every day is a holiday. We still have work, school schedules, errands, and traffic. But being able to finish a busy day with a walk by the water is something I’ve never stopped appreciating.

Everyday Life Can Feel Like a Vacation

In plenty of our coastal towns, everyday life really can feel like a vacation.

Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente each have their own personality. Even within a city, one neighborhood can feel completely different from the next.

For some people, the appeal is being close enough to walk to the sand. For others, it’s having a favorite coffee shop, a harbor nearby, or a neighborhood where they’ve built friendships over the years.

That’s what makes finding the right place here so personal. It’s about the home itself and the life you get to enjoy around it.

I’ve lived in OC for most of my life, and I’m still a little biased. Between our weather, our coastal towns, and the communities that make each place special, I get why people arrive and decide to stay.

So that’s my hot take: the best part of living in California might just be finding your spot in Orange County.

What’s your favorite city in OC?

Annie Clougherty | REALTOR®
Annie Clougherty Team | SERHANT.
DRE #01716801