GlobeSt.com: What is the connection between San Francisco and Orange County when it comes to population?

Dienstag: Believe it or not, there are similarities between these two regions. The Bay Area and Orange County are each known for their high qualities of life, while simultaneously offering a less hectic pace of living compared to other areas. After people move from San Francisco to Orange County, they can jump on a quick flight to visit family and friends in the Bay Area relatively often. Also, compared to San Francisco, Orange County is a more affordable place to live and operate a business. Average asking monthly office rent in San Francisco is more than double Orange County rents. San Francisco's average rent is $6.09, full-service gross, compared to Orange County, which is at $2.63. Costs dedicated towards employees are also higher in San Francisco. The average annual tech-industry salary in San Francisco is $175,196, compared to $104,061 in Orange County. Taking into account these real estate costs and employee wages, annual all-in costs per employee for a tech business owner in San Francisco is $187,979 versus Orange County's total cost of $109,556.

GlobeSt.com: How much are residents coming from abroad affecting the market, and how?

Dienstag: There were a total of 19,470 people who moved from foreign countries to Orange County with more than 62% coming from Asia. The growing Orange County economy is garnering more attention from abroad, providing new opportunities for companies to expand here. Increasing the number of companies that have a presence in Orange County not only adds fuel to the local economy, but also contributes to demand for commercial real estate space.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers take away from this chart?

Dienstag: There is always a lot of talk about people leaving California in search of more affordable costs of living. Data from this study tells us that Orange County is attracting a healthy stream of new residents, and in several cases, Orange County is the more affordable option. Orange County's economy continues to diversify, particularly in the high-tech, healthcare, consulting and medical-technology fields, making Orange County a big draw for people to work and live.

IRVINE, CA—The impressive number of people moving to Orange County from large regions such as San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Chicago means that people view Orange County as a premier location in which to work and live, JLL's senior research analyst Jared Dienstag tells GlobeSt.com. According to recently released research from the firm, between 2009 and 2013, Orange County gained 135,000 new residents, with 14% coming from abroad. Domestically, San Francisco (6,500), Dallas (3,000), and Seattle/Phoenix (2,000) had the largest impact on Orange County's population gains, and California residents accounted for 60% of total migration flow into Orange County.

So what effect is all this in-migration having on the Orange County real estate market? We spoke exclusively with Dienstag about that as well as the specific regions from where these residents are coming, both domestically and internationally.

GlobeSt.com: How does the current information about where new OC residents are coming from impact commercial real estate in that market?

Dienstag: A leading indicator for the strength of a commercial real estate market is job growth. The impressive number of people moving from large regions such as San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Chicago is a positive sign that people view Orange County as a premier location to work and live. According to the Economic Development Department, the total nonfarm employee base in Orange County in August was 1,581,400, representing an increase of 64,700 compared to August 2007. The expanding workforce leads to companies requiring more space, which pushes occupancy levels up, thus creating positive market fundamentals.

GlobeSt.com: What is the connection between San Francisco and Orange County when it comes to population?

Dienstag: Believe it or not, there are similarities between these two regions. The Bay Area and Orange County are each known for their high qualities of life, while simultaneously offering a less hectic pace of living compared to other areas. After people move from San Francisco to Orange County, they can jump on a quick flight to visit family and friends in the Bay Area relatively often. Also, compared to San Francisco, Orange County is a more affordable place to live and operate a business. Average asking monthly office rent in San Francisco is more than double Orange County rents. San Francisco's average rent is $6.09, full-service gross, compared to Orange County, which is at $2.63. Costs dedicated towards employees are also higher in San Francisco. The average annual tech-industry salary in San Francisco is $175,196, compared to $104,061 in Orange County. Taking into account these real estate costs and employee wages, annual all-in costs per employee for a tech business owner in San Francisco is $187,979 versus Orange County's total cost of $109,556.

GlobeSt.com: How much are residents coming from abroad affecting the market, and how?

Dienstag: There were a total of 19,470 people who moved from foreign countries to Orange County with more than 62% coming from Asia. The growing Orange County economy is garnering more attention from abroad, providing new opportunities for companies to expand here. Increasing the number of companies that have a presence in Orange County not only adds fuel to the local economy, but also contributes to demand for commercial real estate space.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers take away from this chart?

Dienstag: There is always a lot of talk about people leaving California in search of more affordable costs of living. Data from this study tells us that Orange County is attracting a healthy stream of new residents, and in several cases, Orange County is the more affordable option. Orange County's economy continues to diversify, particularly in the high-tech, healthcare, consulting and medical-technology fields, making Orange County a big draw for people to work and live.