CLIPBOARD : Monthly Rental Payments

One of the major stories about housing in Orange County can be told through a look at the cost of renting a place to live. In 1983, 62% of renters in the county reported they were paying $500 a month or less. At the same time, just 1% said they spent more than $1,000 each month. Today, rental cost trends have brought those percentages pretty much level with each other. Just 14% of renters now say they spend $500 or less; 16% are shelling out more than $1,000. An additional 41% pay $500 to $750 and the balance, 29%, between $750 and $1,000.

Who are the high-end dwellers, those paying more than $1,000 for rental housing? Basically, they are neither young nor old, but those in the 35-54 age group; the financially well-to-do and those ensconced in single-family homes. At the other end, paying less than $500 a month, are older people (55 years and older) and those who have been living at their current address for more than five years.

Residents of the county were asked this question: “What is your current monthly rental payment?”

Here’s a look at the rental picture:

$500 $501- $751- $1,001- More than or Less $750 $1,000 $1,500 $1,500 TOTAL 14% 41% 29% 12% 4% AGE 18-34 years 15 44 33 7 1 35-54 7 35 27 23 8 55 and older 27 41 16 9 7 REGION OF COUNTY ** North 17 53 23 4 3 West 16 34 33 16 1 Central 10 41 32 14 3 South 14 27 32 19 8 HOUSEHOLD INCOME More than $80,000 13 21 28 19 19 $50,001-$79,999 6 24 48 15 7 $36,000-$50,000 7 45 37 10 1 Less than $36,000 19 53 19 8 1 CURRENT RESIDENCE Single-family home 22 17 24 28 9 Condo/townhouse 7 24 51 15 3 Apartment 9 60 27 2 2 HOW LONG IN ORANGE COUNTY 2 years or less 18 32 34 7 9 3-5 years 10 53 19 18 * 6-10 years 5 36 40 18 1 More than 10 years 18 43 26 10 3 HOW LONG AT CURRENT ADDRESS 2 years or less 12 37 32 13 6 3-5 years 7 52 26 15 * 6-10 years 21 29 39 11 * More than 10 years 31 50 14 5 *

* Less than 1%

** North: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Orange, Placentia, Villa Park,Yorba Linda. Central: Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Tustin, Tustin Foothills. West: Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Stanton, Seal Beach, Westminster. South: Capistrano Beach, Dana Point, El Toro, Emerald Bay, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Silverado, South Laguna.

Source: Orange County Annual Survey by Mark Baldassare, UCI