Sea Cliff, NY — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New York·Sea Cliff

Nassau County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 5,024

Small-town feel

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Sea Cliff stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 8.3% in the last year.

Median home $1,114,135

1-year +8.3%

5-yr CAGR +6.7%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

25/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

10/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

32/100

Poor remote-work fit

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 vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 41.7

Rent

At a 41.7 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Sea Cliff 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

86 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

73 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

42 · w16%

Home 10-yr CAGR

64 · w10%

Long thesis

Sea Cliff has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,114,135 with +6.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Sea Cliff's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Sea Cliff

Sea Cliff is a city in Nassau County, New York, with an estimated population of 5,024. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Sea Cliff is $1,114,135 as of 2026-04, up 8.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Sea Cliff average $2,225 per month. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 8.3% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.7% 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

●Premium territory: $1,114,135 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

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 Nassau County right now.

NWS active alerts (NY)New York Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

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