Too rich for our own good

Orange County has 3.2 million residents and GDP bigger than Greece. A classic American success story, right? Not so fast says Zocalo Public Square Columnist Joe Mathews. He argues that economic and demographic trends are putting the O.C.’s future in jeopardy. Orange County is no longer the sleepy suburban enclave of the past. It’s become a major industry hub and job center. But it’s also so expensive that many of the lower wage workers needed to keep the economy humming can no longer afford to live there. That’s resulted in an aging population and a notable lack of economic dynamism.