South African Population in Orange County, CA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The South African population in Orange County, CA is reported at 2,294 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Several cities in Orange County - including Irvine, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, and others - contribute to the South African population, but the total county figure of 2,294 indicates additional presence beyond municipal borders. The sections below explores how South African residents are distributed in California and the U.S.

Top 5 cities with the largest South African population in Orange County

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  • 1
    Irvine
    South African population in Irvine is 793
    0.26% of Irvine population is South African
  • 2
    Huntington Beach
    South African population in Huntington Beach is 209
    0.11% of Huntington Beach population is South African
  • 3
    San Clemente
    South African population in San Clemente is 183
    0.29% of San Clemente population is South African
  • 4
    Lake Forest
    South African population in Lake Forest is 160
    0.19% of Lake Forest population is South African
  • 5
    Orange
    South African population in Orange is 113
    0.08% of Orange population is South African

Overview of South African population in Orange County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Orange County with 2,294 South African residents (0.073% of 3.2 million total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 99th percentile nationally among counties and 96th percentile within California for South African population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show Orange County's South African population of 0.073% surpassing both California's state average of 0.034% and the national average of 0.025%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey indicate Orange County's 2,294 South African residents constitute 17.3% of California's total South African population of 13,225, placing the county among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 17.3% of all California South African Americans residing within county boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Orange County maintains 2.9 South African Americans per square mile, representing just over thirty-four times California's average of 0.085 per square mile, establishing the county as an exceptional concentration center comparable to major metropolitan demographic areas.
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34 Cities in Orange County Ranked by South African Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show South African populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by Irvine, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, and Lake Forest. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 34 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Orange County, CA ranked by South African population count
Rank by South African Population
City
South African Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Orange County South African Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Irvine 793 0.26% 34.57%
2 Huntington Beach 209 0.11% 9.11%
3 San Clemente 183 0.29% 7.98%
4 Lake Forest 160 0.19% 6.97%
5 Orange 113 0.08% 4.93%
6 Santa Ana 102 0.03% 4.45%
7 Rancho Santa Margarita 101 0.21% 4.40%
8 70 0.02% 3.05%
9 56 0.07% 2.44%
10 43 0.25% 1.87%
11 42 0.18% 1.83%
12 35 0.03% 1.53%
12 35 0.04% 1.53%
13 34 0.10% 1.48%
14 26 0.05% 1.13%
15 20 0.04% 0.87%
16 12 0.02% 0.52%
17 7 0.01% 0.31%
18 5 0.02% 0.22%
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
19 0 - -
Need the complete table? Full rankings and the underlying data sets for California and other locations are available for purchase or license.

Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Orange County, CA by their South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines South African population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having South African ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as South African alone, while others identify as South African along with another race (such as South African and German).
  • We’ve used the “South African alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the South African population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as South African alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as South African .
  2. % of Total Orange County South African Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. South African population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small South African populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported South African population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where South African populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.