Orange County

Produced in partnership with the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Orange County compiles critical data to paint a more nuanced picture of the county’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are growing in size and diversity

Orange County is home to the third-largest Asian American population in the United States. According to the 2010 Census, there are nearly 600,000 Asian Americans and over 19,000 Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) living in Orange County; only Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties are home to more Asian Americans nationwide. One out of every five residents countywide is Asian American or NHPI. Between 2000 and 2010, Asian American and NHPI populations in Orange County grew 41% and 17%, respectively, faster than any other racial groups. In contrast, the county’s total population grew only 6% over the same period. The Asian American population grew in every city countywide over the decade.