Jobs, pay and daily life in Mission Viejo, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Mission Viejo is a city in California with 92,151 residents. The median household earns $136,123 a year and the median rent is $2,839 a month, which is 25.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 6,271,560 jobs.
How Mission Viejo compares. Among the 145 places in California, Mission Viejo is #86 by population, #6 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #120 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #36 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Orange County, is #9 of 58 counties for average pay ($81,403).
Mission Viejo has 92,151 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of California. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,218 people per square mile. The median age is 45.5, 20% older than the state median (45.5 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $2,839 a month (rent plus utilities), 39% above the state median ($2,839 against $2,036). Over a year that is 25.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,009,600, which is 7.4 times the median household income ($136,123); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 76.9% of households own their home, 38% above the state average (76.9% against 55.9%).
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area has 6,271,560 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $55,850 a year, 10% above the national median ($55,850 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (702,480 jobs, median $52,710); food preparation and serving related (588,660 jobs, median $38,460); healthcare support (537,460 jobs, median $35,630). The area is most specialised in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (2.2 times) and healthcare support (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,490) and legal ($128,110). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Orange County was 4.3%. 62.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Orange County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 66.9% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 1.4% walk, 23.1% work from home. 15.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 18% below the state average (15.9% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
52.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% above the state share (52.1% against 37.1%). 22.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 15% below the state share (22.9% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 5.6%, 53% below the state rate (5.6% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 73°F (23.0°C), and the coolest is Dec at 56°F (13.2°C). About 299 mm (12 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Feb is the wettest month (68 mm) and Jun the driest (1 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Lake Forest (3 miles, rent 6% lower); Irvine (8 miles, rent 6% higher); Tustin (12 miles, rent 14% lower); Newport Beach (13 miles, rent 17% higher). Rent differences are against Mission Viejo; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,717) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideOrange CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,717 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 385,530 | 2.22 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $38,010 | -4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 160,270 | 1.03 | $42,110 | $35,720 | $46,830 | +35% |
| Retail Salespersons | 130,650 | 0.83 | $37,700 | $35,760 | $54,650 | +6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 120,720 | 1.01 | $42,390 | $35,890 | $56,740 | +5% |
| Office Clerks, General | 112,270 | 1.13 | $48,100 | $36,120 | $70,740 | +7% |
| Cashiers | 109,940 | 0.88 | $36,980 | $35,320 | $48,110 | +12% |
| Registered Nurses | 109,360 | 0.80 | $135,560 | $100,980 | $174,200 | +39% |
| General and Operations Managers | 104,610 | 0.74 | $125,830 | $62,400 | $299,990 | +19% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 85,630 | 0.75 | $38,650 | $35,730 | $54,580 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 85,210 | 0.93 | $35,850 | $34,380 | $59,200 | +2% |
| Security Guards | 83,280 | 1.61 | $40,030 | $36,300 | $56,750 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 83,160 | 0.93 | $38,720 | $35,700 | $56,300 | +5% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 70,640 | 1.21 | $94,360 | $60,310 | $154,630 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 66,590 | 0.64 | $48,840 | $37,950 | $74,860 | +9% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 61,270 | 0.74 | $60,340 | $42,910 | $80,120 | +3% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 58,800 | 0.85 | $53,550 | $36,420 | $76,510 | +13% |
| Software Developers | 55,540 | 0.82 | $160,920 | $98,270 | $223,150 | +18% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 54,950 | 1.10 | $74,490 | $39,520 | $135,830 | +3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 54,340 | 0.94 | $77,530 | $51,110 | $119,080 | +12% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 54,320 | 0.96 | $44,460 | $37,230 | $55,010 | +19% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | 1,610 | 1.42 | $370,510 | $95,750 | $510,530 | +31% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,710 | 1.61 | $364,730 | $179,270 | $427,660 | +57% |
| Chief Executives | 10,800 | 1.31 | $234,290 | $101,250 | $522,060 | +9% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 23,180 | 0.86 | $204,370 | $125,600 | $297,260 | +17% |
| Physicians, All Other | 6,810 | 0.49 | $196,760 | $79,340 | $451,010 | -26% |
| Lawyers | 41,580 | 1.37 | $194,410 | $93,980 | $375,440 | +22% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,530 | 0.58 | $193,340 | $101,170 | $306,970 | +16% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 9,570 | 1.08 | $190,900 | $132,870 | $269,320 | +11% |
| Pediatricians, General | 3,080 | 1.94 | $176,900 | $96,810 | $306,670 | -16% |
| Financial Managers | 34,480 | 1.02 | $175,310 | $102,360 | $337,680 | +5% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 690 | 0.76 | $173,020 | $63,520 | $225,680 | +17% |
| Marketing Managers | 18,550 | 1.16 | $171,900 | $100,360 | $318,960 | +3% |
| Human Resources Managers | 9,070 | 1.02 | $168,400 | $98,810 | $299,740 | +13% |
| Managers, All Other | 31,210 | 1.24 | $168,160 | $93,160 | $290,440 | +19% |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | 1,350 | 1.56 | $167,930 | $74,840 | $315,490 | +26% |
| Public Relations Managers | 3,610 | 1.20 | $163,830 | $96,100 | $281,890 | +12% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 5,200 | 1.91 | $163,280 | $108,330 | $227,440 | +21% |
| Physician Assistants | 3,890 | 0.60 | $161,890 | $99,570 | $220,580 | +19% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 10,310 | 0.78 | $161,590 | $104,260 | $202,660 | +53% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 10,060 | 0.77 | $161,470 | $119,950 | $216,180 | +22% |
These figures are for the whole Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $55,850 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.8% |
| Manufacturing | 11.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.6% |
| Retail trade | 9.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.6% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Other services | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.4% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.2% |
| Information | 2.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Mission Viejo lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 3,165,820 | $351,753 million | $111,109 | 1,661,276 | 148,394 | $81,403 | +1.0% | 4.3% | 1,615,890 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 228,409 | 15.2% | $64,644 | 0.96 |
| Accommodation and food services | 174,391 | 11.6% | $35,198 | 1.15 |
| Manufacturing | 153,972 | 10.2% | $112,623 | 1.13 |
| Retail trade | 143,993 | 9.6% | $50,475 | 0.87 |
| Administrative and waste services | 137,200 | 9.1% | $57,310 | 1.40 |
| Professional and technical services | 136,974 | 9.1% | $121,683 | 1.19 |
| Construction | 105,302 | 7.0% | $95,149 | 1.21 |
| Wholesale trade | 78,907 | 5.3% | $107,526 | 1.21 |
| Finance and insurance | 61,406 | 4.1% | $155,351 | 0.91 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 59,065 | 3.9% | $43,704 | 2.12 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51,931 | 3.5% | $49,232 | 1.04 |
| Real estate and rental | 40,801 | 2.7% | $99,172 | 1.58 |
| Management of companies | 35,887 | 2.4% | $151,532 | 1.28 |
| Educational services | 35,514 | 2.4% | $50,366 | 1.03 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 31,612 | 2.1% | $65,887 | 0.45 |
| Information | 21,292 | 1.4% | $170,178 | 0.68 |
| Utilities | 3,412 | 0.2% | $157,457 | 0.54 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,703 | 0.1% | $51,864 | 0.13 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 406 | 0.0% | $106,022 | 0.06 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.9% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 1.4% |
| Work from home | 23.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 15.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $136,123 |
| Income per person | $61,910 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,839 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.0% |
| Median home value | $1,009,600 |
| Homeowners | 76.9% |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 113.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $55,850 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 52.1% |
| Born abroad | 22.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.4 | 56 | 57 |
| Feb | 13.3 | 56 | 68 |
| Mar | 14.4 | 58 | 32 |
| Apr | 15.4 | 60 | 20 |
| May | 17.1 | 63 | 8 |
| Jun | 19.4 | 67 | 1 |
| Jul | 22.4 | 72 | 4 |
| Aug | 23.0 | 73 | 3 |
| Sep | 22.6 | 73 | 4 |
| Oct | 19.7 | 67 | 16 |
| Nov | 16.5 | 62 | 26 |
| Dec | 13.2 | 56 | 60 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest | CA | 3 mi | 86,281 | $135,175 | $2,672 |
| Irvine | CA | 8 mi | 311,690 | $136,719 | $2,997 |
| Tustin | CA | 12 mi | 78,981 | $112,503 | $2,449 |
| Newport Beach | CA | 13 mi | 83,845 | $156,867 | $3,316 |
| Costa Mesa | CA | 15 mi | 110,330 | $111,505 | $2,446 |
| Santa Ana | CA | 16 mi | 312,534 | $93,999 | $2,082 |
| Orange | CA | 17 mi | 138,266 | $117,113 | $2,327 |
| Anaheim | CA | 18 mi | 344,521 | $95,227 | $2,175 |
| Corona | CA | 18 mi | 159,670 | $109,242 | $2,228 |
| Huntington Beach | CA | 21 mi | 195,240 | $120,919 | $2,510 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
92,151 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,839 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.0% of the median household income.
$136,123 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, Orange County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.