Orange County, California Housing Market Prices
Orange County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 54% above the California median More expensive than 91% of counties in California$1,003,714
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Median rent 19% above the California median Among the 5 most expensive counties in California$2,433
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,003,714 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.3% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,433 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.3% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Orange County is about 54% higher than in California. Rent is about 19% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Orange County, up about 8.3% and 5.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Orange County rose about 57.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,548 to $2,433. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 8.6 yearly household incomes in Orange County.
Buying the median-priced home in Orange County costs roughly 34.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Orange County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,003,714 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $116,542 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 8.6 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Orange County rose about 104.3%, while median household income rose about 51.9% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 53.3% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 41.2% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.5% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
Orange County has a homeownership rate of 53.3%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.5%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Orange County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.87 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1977 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Orange County was built around 1977. On average, 2.9 people live in a home with about 5.1 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Orange County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Orange County, CA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,164,225 residents against a local median of 2,477,722. The measure that sets Orange County, CA apart most is median home price: $1,003,714, 26% above the local median of $797,190.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $2,433 against a local median of $1,953, 25% above it. The counties themselves spread $619,331 on median home price, so Orange County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Orange County, CA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, CA | 3,164,225 | $1,003,714 #1/6 | $2,433 #1/6 | 56.4% #4/6 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $934,813 | $1,953 | 45.9% |
| San Diego County, CA | 3,282,387 | $797,190 | $2,246 | 54.6% |
| Ventura County, CA | 836,943 | $854,285 | $2,316 | 64.6% |
| Riverside County, CA | 2,477,722 | $479,061 | $1,900 | 69.1% |
| Kern County, CA | 915,060 | $315,481 | $1,300 | 60.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Orange County, California.
What is the median home price in Orange County, California?
The median home price in Orange County, California is $1,003,714, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Orange County, California?
The typical home price in Orange County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,003,714. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Orange County, California?
The median gross rent in Orange County, California is $2,433 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Orange County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Orange County, California was $1,927 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Orange County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Orange County, California is about 34.4, meaning it would take roughly 34.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Orange County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Orange County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Orange County, up about 8.3% and 5.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Orange County, California?
53.3% of households in Orange County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Orange County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Orange County, California is 5.5%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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