Costa Mesa is located in Orange County, California. If you are interested in making a home or buying one just as an investment, then look no further, Costa Mesa is the right place to make base. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a suburban city with an economy based on retail commerce and light manufacturing. Though locally the Costa Mesa economy relies heavily on retail and services it has the single largest center of commercial activity is South Coast Plaza, a shopping center noted for its architecture and size.