Consumers Parted With a Record $23.6 Billion

Healthy retail spending brought Orange County’s taxable sales to a record $23.6 billion last year--up 10.8% from the year before. Costa Mesa, home of South Coast Plaza and Harbor Boulevard’s car dealerships, topped the list in apparel, general merchandise and car sales and supplies--even though it is only the seventh-largest city in the county. And shoppers in Anaheim and Santa Ana--the county’s largest cities--led the list in spending on general merchandise and dining out. Irvine, home of the Irvine Auto Center, ranked second in taxable sales for cars and supplies. The taxable sales figures compiled by the State Board of Equalization measure consumer spending for products ranging from clothing and building materials to restaurants and service stations.

TOP FIVE CITIES BY CATEGORY (In thousands)

APPAREL

Costa Mesa $160,401 Newport Beach 68,050 Orange 58,125 Santa Ana 57,111 Westminster 50,779 GENERAL MERCHANDISE

Costa Mesa $439,453 Santa Ana 279,216 Fullerton 177,788 Huntington Beach 165,496 Westminster 133,470 FOOD

Anaheim $118,119 Santa Ana 111,892 Huntington Beach 85,060 Garden Grove 78,143 Costa Mesa 51,454 EATING AND DRINKING PLACES

Anaheim $231,625 Santa Ana 176,369 Newport Beach 172,046 Huntington Beach 136,593 Costa Mesa 122,611 AUTO DEALERS AND SUPPLIES

Costa Mesa $314,339 Irvine 300,975 Huntington Beach 271,355 Anaheim 268,787 Santa Ana 240,752 Source: State Board of Equalization SALES BY COMMUNITY

Rank/City Sales (in thousands) 1. Anaheim $2,816,496 2. Santa Ana 2,346,771 3. Costa Mesa 1,927,810 4. Irvine 1,559,476 5. Huntington Beach 1,544,775 6. Orange 1,510,807 7. Garden Grove 1,114,315 8. Fullerton 1,096,630 9. Newport Beach 966,145 10. Buena Park 834,442 11. Westminster 729,868 12. Tustin 556,581 13. Brea 515,595 14. La Habra 356,335 15. Fountain Valley 338,634 16. Placentia 226,459 17. Cypress 233,714 18. Stanton 203,428 19. Los Alamitos 185,276 20. San Clemente 183,180 21. San Juan Capistrano 167,432 22. Laguna Beach 155,338 23. Yorba Linda 104,440 24. Seal Beach 98,416

Source: State Board of Equalization