Commercial Real Estate Market in Costa Mesa, CA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
200 active listings and 3,088 off-market properties in Costa Mesa, CA. Commercial property asks $328/SF to buy and $33.17/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Costa Mesa, CA spans 16.1 square miles in Orange County, California. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office space in Costa Mesa, CA asks $321/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 20.8% across the West region in 2025, up from 11% in 2019.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Retail
Retail space in Costa Mesa, CA asks $1,114/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.8% across the West region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Costa Mesa, CA runs 7.9% across the West region in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2019. Nearly 3.2x the 2022 low of 2.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Costa Mesa, CA asks $212/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 8.6% across the West region in 2025, up from 7% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Costa Mesa, CA has 112,649 residents in 43,929 households. Density runs 6,996 people per square mile. Median household income here is $110,725 and median gross rent $2,399 a month.
112,649
Population
43,929
Households
2.6
Avg Household Size
36
Median Age
44%
College-Educated
88%
High-School Grad
16.1 sq mi
ZIP Area
6,996
Density / Sq Mi
$110,725
Median Household Income
$52,255
Median Earnings
$2,399
Median Rent
$1,058,096
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $33.17/SF/Yr lease vs $328/SF buy → buying wins if held > 1.4 years.
The comparison uses county-wide sale comps against Costa Mesa asking rents, so the implied 10.1% gross yield is computed off asking rents rather than a closed-deal cap-rate benchmark. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington Beach | $328 (county avg) | $41.26 |
| Irvine | $328 (county avg) | $37.37 |
| Santa Ana | $328 (county avg) | $23.60 |
Commercial property in Costa Mesa, CA asks $328/SF. The 3 bordering markets run from $328/SF in Huntington Beach to $328/SF in Huntington Beach, and the city sits in line with their $328/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Costa Mesa?
Commercial property in Costa Mesa, CA asks an average of $328 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $486/SF. Retail carries the highest asking price at $1,114/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Costa Mesa?
Asking lease rates in Costa Mesa, CA average $33.17 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Costa Mesa?
Buying beats leasing in Costa Mesa, CA if the property is held longer than 1.4 years, comparing $33.17/SF/Yr asking rent with $328/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
How does Costa Mesa compare to nearby markets on price?
Costa Mesa, CA asks $328/SF against $328/SF in Huntington Beach, $328/SF in Irvine and $328/SF in Santa Ana.
Where does Realmo's Costa Mesa market data come from?
Realmo compiles Costa Mesa, CA figures from 8 recent recorded sales, 89 active sale listings, 111 active lease listings, 3,088 tracked off-market properties. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 89 active for-sale and 111 active for-lease listings in Costa Mesa, CA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Price per square foot
- The county-level $/SF blends closed sales aggregated over the trailing months of available data, not a single day's snapshot — it can differ from any one month's own median.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- the lease-vs-buy comparison mixes county-wide sale comps with city asking rents, office vacancy is reported at West region level, retail vacancy is reported at West region level and industrial vacancy is reported at West region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 30 September 2026 · report a data issue
