Newport Beach, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Newport Beach

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 82,970

InvestorsShrinking
Newport Beach, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Newport Beach, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
78
Hot
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Newport Beach stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 9.0% in the last year. averaging 10.6% annual growth over 5 years. population shrinking 0.7% per year. rents up 5.2% in the last year.

Median home $3,709,420
1-year +9.0%
5-yr CAGR +10.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$3709k$1459k$2259k$3058k$3858k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
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
42/100
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
$4,177/mo$2,716$3,572$4,428202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent165145100120140160202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 74.0
Rent

At a 74.0 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Newport 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
89 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
88 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
35 · w16%
Rent YoY
79 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Newport Beach has averaged 10.6% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+9.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Newport 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 Newport Beach

Newport Beach is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 82,970. 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 Newport Beach is $3,709,420 as of 2026-04, up 9.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +10.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Newport Beach average $4,177 per month, up 5.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 78 of 100 (Hot). Buyers should expect competition and limited negotiation room in this market.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 10.6% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Trend still working: prices up 9.0% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.2% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Premium territory: $3,709,420 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

About Newport Beach (Wikipedia)

Newport Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, Newport Beach had a population of 85,239. Located about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime industries; today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws visitors with a waterfront path and easy access from the ferry to the shops and restaurants.

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

City facts

Mayor Pro TemLauren Kleiman
Area52.92 sq mi
Elevation10 ft
EstablishedSeptember 1, 1906
Densityauto/sq mi

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

Things to see in Newport Beach(Attractions)

  • Newport Harbor Yacht Club
  • Balboa Yacht Club
  • Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club
  • Lido Isle Yacht Club

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

Expect competition, escalation clauses, and pressure to waive inspections. Make your strongest offer up front — Hot markets reward decisiveness, not negotiation. If you can't write a clean offer, you may not be the best fit for this market right now.

Seller

Price slightly above recent comps and let multiple offers work. Days-on-market should be short. Don't accept the first offer in the first 48 hours unless it's significantly above ask.

Investor

Cap rates will look ugly in a Hot market — your thesis has to be appreciation, not yield. Don't expect cash flow; expect to ride the trend and exit before it stalls.

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 Newport Beach

2 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Newport Coast$5,680,063+10.7%
2Corona del Mar$4,262,023+7.4%

Cities like Newport Beach

Carpinteria, CA74 · RisingEl Centro, CA75 · RisingImperial, CA84 · HotCalexico, CA75 · Rising

Run the numbers for Newport Beach

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

Cities similar to Newport Beach

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all California cities →    Browse best-of lists →