Huntington Beach, CA

All states·California·Huntington Beach

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 193,151

InvestorsShrinking
Huntington Beach, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Huntington Beach, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
68
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Huntington Beach stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 7.8% annual growth over 5 years. population shrinking 0.7% per year.

Median home $1,364,265
1-year +3.2%
5-yr CAGR +7.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$1364k$621k$887k$1153k$1419k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
64/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
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
$3,001/mo$2,154$2,667$3,181202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent146131100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 37.9
Rent

At a 37.9 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Huntington Beach for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
78 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
34 · w16%
Rent YoY
56 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
76 · w10%
Long thesis

Huntington Beach has averaged 7.8% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+3.2% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Huntington Beach's population is shrinking 0.7% 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 Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 193,151. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The population has contracted 0.7% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Huntington Beach is $1,364,265 as of 2026-04, up 3.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Huntington Beach average $3,001 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.7%). The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.2% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Premium territory: $1,364,265 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

About Huntington Beach (Wikipedia)

Huntington Beach is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of the 2020 United States census, making it the fourth most populous city in Orange County, the most populous beach city in Orange County, and the seventh most populous city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles, it is bordered by Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Westminster on the north, by Fountain Valley on the northeast, by Costa Mesa on the east, and by Newport Beach on the southeast.

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

City facts

MayorCasey McKeon
Area28.33 sq mi
Elevation39 ft
Established1909
NicknameSurf City
Densityauto/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.

Neighborhoods of Huntington Beach

30 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Coral Cay$4,907,124+3.0%
2The Bluffs$4,153,209+5.5%
3The Peninsula$3,483,579+3.0%
4The Boardwalk$3,409,326+0.2%
5Trinidad Island$2,932,890+10.0%
6Brightwater$2,915,564+1.2%
7Huntington Place$2,737,853+10.1%
8Peninsula Park$2,727,700+5.7%
9Huntington Harbour$2,493,030+8.8%
10Crystallaire$2,292,726+5.7%
11St. Augustine$2,183,957+7.6%
12Sunset Beach$2,083,499+3.0%
13Downtown$2,053,329+7.4%
14Seacliff$1,855,677+4.7%
15Meredith Gardens$1,842,161-0.1%
16Seagate$1,815,980+6.9%
17Sherwood Estates$1,780,274+2.2%
18Suburbia Park$1,704,953+10.1%
19Golden West Estate$1,690,891+3.5%
20Summer Lane$1,665,100+4.5%
21Deane Gardens$1,652,183+4.7%
22Park Huntington$1,626,848+4.4%
23Pacific Shores$1,554,764+3.2%
24Shorecrest East$1,535,326+7.5%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Huntington Beach

Costa Mesa, CA70 · RisingSanta Barbara, CA66 · RisingFountain Valley, CA72 · RisingWestminster, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Huntington Beach

ToolCan I afford Huntington Beach?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Huntington Beach rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Huntington Beach to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHuntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach 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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