California's biggest income gains in Orange County cities — including Anaheim, Irvine, and Santa Ana — are climbing faster than the state's marquee tech centers in Silicon Valley, a sign that California's economic improvement is expanding.
What's happening?
SmartAsset analyzed the 94 largest U.S. population centers and found multiple California metros among the strongest performers for real income growth in 2024. The metric adjusts for inflation and includes income beyond wages, such as other household earnings.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Anaheim's 16% increase was the second-highest in the country. Irvine ranked 7th and Santa Ana 14th, while Long Beach placed 10th and Fresno finished in the top 20.
The Bay Area still posted growth, though not at the same pace. San Francisco and San José each recorded income gains above 5% in 2025 — enough to keep them in the top 20 but still far behind Anaheim's jump.
Chapman University economist Raymond Sfeir said Orange County's gains were a result of job growth, better-paid work in healthcare and tech, and California's increase in the fast-food minimum wage from $16 to $20.
Why does it matter?
The data offers a clearer picture of whether paychecks are keeping up with rising prices in California, where housing, transportation, and other everyday costs remain stubbornly high even as wages increase.
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SmartAsset spokesperson Toby Nelson said the figures help show "where personal finances gain the most ground against rising prices, and where income is either helping residents keep up or maybe failing to keep up."
The data also shows that growth does not look the same everywhere. San José's median household income was $148,000, compared with $74,000 in Fresno. More than 35% of households in San Francisco and San José earned above $200,000, while only about 18% of Anaheim households reached that level.
A fast growth rate does not automatically make one city more affordable than another. It can point to where workers are gaining leverage, where employers are adding better-paying jobs, and where local economies may be expanding beyond a single industry.
What's being done?
Sfeir said Irvine's rise appears to be tied to durable sector expansion rather than a one-time boost, and he pointed to UC Irvine as an important driver. In his view, the university has helped the city grow by attracting startups and highly paid researchers.
He also cited hiring across medical technology, dental instruments, electronics, computers, and AI-related fields. Firms including Edwards Lifesciences and Allergan have contributed to an increased workforce with stronger salaries.
Elsewhere in Southern California, more investment could help keep the trend going. After the SpaceX IPO in June, thousands of current and former workers are projected to join the millionaire ranks, with many based in the Hawthorne area and likely to move from the South Bay toward north Orange County.
In Long Beach, Anduril unveiled a $1 billion expansion plan in January that is set to open in mid-2027. For workers, that could translate into more opportunities in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and tech-adjacent fields, though it may also intensify competition for housing in places already facing cost-of-living pressure.
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