5 Tips When Moving to Orange County

Published: January 08, 2020

With over 3,000,000 residents, Orange County is a popular area of California, and after one visit, it’s easy to see why. If you’re moving to the area, you may have questions about how to make it as stress-free as possible. Here are five tips to make it just that:

1. Avoid Moving on Game Days

Orange County is home to a ton of sporting events and teams. Avoid moving on a day when the teams are having home games, as traffic can become very congested and cause detours.

2. Research the Cost of Living

Orange County is home to tons of small cities and towns, almost all of which are above the national average for cost of living. Be sure to research which cities have the best cost-of-living. Rental-Living.com recommends Costa Mesa, Orange and Fountain Valley for those new to the area.

3. Avoid South of Irvine at Rush Hour

The last thing you want on moving day is gridlock traffic. Highways 5 and 405 merge together just south of Irvine and are notoriously bad, so be sure to avoid this area of the O.C. during rush hours.

4. Check with the City

Lots of places in Orange County have street sweeping at certain times during the week. If you’re going to have a mobile storage unit on the street near your new place, you want to consider this beforehand. The last thing you want is a big fine or to cause a problem with the new neighbors!

5. Research the School Districts

If you’re bringing along kiddos for the move to Orange County, you may find this Public Schools Report helpful. School districts Laguna Beach and Fountain Valley top the list in the county due to improvements in technology and an aggressive approach to engaging with learning communities.