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

All states·California·Seal Beach

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 24,421

ShrinkingSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Seal Beach stands

At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.8% per year. rents up 5.5% in the last year.

Median home $845,597
1-year +1.8%
5-yr CAGR +6.6%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$846k$394k$556k$718k$879k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
49/100
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
$2,960/mo$0$1,591$3,182202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10812380100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.8
Lean rent

At a 23.8 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Seal Beach. 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
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
72 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
33 · w16%
Rent YoY
82 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
74 · w10%
Long thesis

Seal Beach has held up across the cycle: home values at $845,597 with +6.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Seal Beach'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 Seal Beach

Seal Beach is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 24,421. 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 Seal Beach is $845,597 as of 2026-04, up 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Seal Beach average $2,960 per month, up 5.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Healthy 5-year run: +6.6% 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.
Hot rental market: rents up 5.5% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

Bear case

Expensive AND not growing: median home $845,597 with only +1.8% 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.

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.

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 Seal Beach

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Surfside$2,700,907+8.1%

Cities like Seal Beach

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 Seal Beach listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

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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