Newcomers Guide to Costa Mesa Moving to a new community is exciting, especially if it's as vibrant as Costa Mesa. Its Spanish name reflects its geographic feature, literally a coastal plateau offering views of the Pacific Ocean, just a mile from the southernmost border. It's an ideal location with easy access to nearby Irvine and Anaheim, just 37 miles from Los Angeles and less than 90 miles from San Diego - ideal for employment centers, shopping, entertainment, recreation and cultural attractions. Costa Mesa's proximity to the Santa Ana River made it historically important to early settlers and cattle ranchers. Today, that same convenient location makes Costa Mesa a major player in Orange County, attracting businesses and visitors. It is celebrated as "The City of the Arts," the capital of the action sports industry and home to Orange County's top 20 revenue-generating malls. This thriving city of approximately 112,000 residents in an area of ​​16 square miles. This is a young and educated population, with an average age of 33.6 years and 37% have a university degree or higher. They enjoy a mild Mediterranean climate year-round, cooled by coastal breezes and a commute to work that averages less than 20 minutes. The median household income of $61,136 in 2011 was higher than the state average of $57,287.1 Moving to Costa Mesa If you're moving for work or lifestyle reasons, Costa Mesa is an excellent choice. Livability.com, which ranks small and medium-sized cities based on eight categories, named Costa Mesa one of its 100 best places to live in its October 2013 list. Costa Mesa's highest scores came for its amenities, which included parks, climate, art and golf courses. The months-long study of more than 1,700... half of the paper... International Surfing Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, Huntington Beach Pier, South Coast Plaza, The Irvine Spectrum Balboa and Catalina Islands, and dozens of local, regional parks and state parks ranging from the Bolsa Chica Conservancy to Crystal Cove State Park and Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park. Top-rated golf courses include Los Lagos, Oak Creek and Mesa Verde at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club. Learn more about local interests near Costa Mesa here. Make yourself at home in Costa Mesa For more information on new homes in Costa Mesa available now or coming soon, email a request to Taylor Morrison Internet Home Advisor or sign up for VIP Interest Lists. Works Cited1 “Costa Mesa, California,” http://www.city-data.com/city/Costa-Mesa-California.html#ixzz2qIn1pypp2 “Costa Mesa Home Prices & Value,” http://www.zillow.com /costa-mesa-ca/home-values/