Orange, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Orange

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 137,941

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

Where Orange stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $1,137,228
1-year +0.8%
5-yr CAGR +6.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$1137k$543k$756k$969k$1183k201620182020202220242026

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
52/100
Workable for remote workers
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
$3,239/mo$2,346$2,890$3,434202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent139130100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 29.3
Rent

At a 29.3 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Orange 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
54 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
40 · w16%
Rent YoY
57 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Orange has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,137,228 with +6.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Orange carries a $1,137,228 median home with only +0.8% YoY. Premium pricing in a flat tape is the bear setup — you're paying for the trend that already ran while new buyers can't afford to extend it.

About Orange

Orange is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 137,941. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The median home value in Orange is $1,137,228 as of 2026-04, up 0.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Orange average $3,239 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.8%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,137,228 with only +0.8% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

About Orange (Wikipedia)

Orange is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. It is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many other cities in the region demolished such houses in the 1960s, Orange decided to preserve them. The small city of Villa Park is surrounded by the city of Orange. The population of Orange was 139,911 as of 2020.

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

City facts

MayorDan Slater
Area25.82 sq mi
Elevation190 ft
Founded1869
MottoA Slice of Old Towne Charm
Density5452.49/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 Orange

Chino Hills, CA64 · RisingYorba Linda, CA66 · RisingGarden Grove, CA69 · RisingFullerton, CA62 · Rising

Run the numbers for Orange

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