Aliso Viejo, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Aliso Viejo

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 50,457

InvestorsShrinking
Aliso Viejo, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Aliso Viejo, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Aliso Viejo stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 8.3% annual growth over 5 years. population shrinking 0.8% per year.

Median home $1,013,561
1-year -0.5%
5-yr CAGR +8.3%
vs 5-yr peak -0.7%
Population -0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-03$1014k$489k$680k$871k$1062k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
64/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
46/100
Marginal for remote
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,459/mo$2,395$3,031$3,667202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent149136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.4
Lean rent

At a 24.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Aliso Viejo. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
48 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
80 · w22%
Distance from peak
86 · w18%
Population growth
32 · w16%
Rent YoY
73 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Aliso Viejo has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,013,561 with +8.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Aliso Viejo's population is shrinking 0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 50,457. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The population has contracted 0.8% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Aliso Viejo is $1,013,561 as of 2026-04, down 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Aliso Viejo average $3,459 per month, up 4.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.3% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Held the highs: currently -0.7% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,013,561 with only -0.5% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Flat or shrinking population: -0.8% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

About Aliso Viejo (Wikipedia)

Aliso Viejo is a city in the San Joaquin Hills of southern Orange County, California. It had a population of 52,176 as of the 2020 census, up from 47,823 as of the 2010 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in Orange County to be incorporated since 2000. It is bordered by the cities of Laguna Beach on the west and southwest, Laguna Hills on the east, Laguna Niguel on the southeast, and Laguna Woods on the north. It is similarly named to another nearby city, Mission Viejo.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTiffany Ackley
Area6.93 sq mi
Elevation410 ft
EstablishedJuly 1, 2001Cite web
Density7533.35/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Orange County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Orange County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Aliso Viejo

Tustin, CA65 · RisingMission Viejo, CA66 · RisingLaguna Hills, CA61 · StableYorba Linda, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Aliso Viejo

ToolCan I afford Aliso Viejo?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Aliso Viejo rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Aliso Viejo to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAliso Viejo cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Aliso Viejo listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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