Busting the myth of Orange County’s ‘suburban sprawl’

“Suburban sprawl.” It’s a phrase used ad nauseam to describe Orange County — in news coverage of the tragic helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others, the political wave that turned ruby-red O.C.  blue, in paeans to its sandy beaches and crescent coastlines.
But it’s wrong.
While Orange County lacks a traditional urban core, it’s actually one of the most densely populated places in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Census