What a local Huntington Beach agent helps you decide
Huntington Beach covers about 27 square miles of land and 9.5 miles of beach between Seal Beach and Newport Beach, with five ZIP codes and a wide spread of prices inside them. Zillow's typical home value for the city was $1,344,725 in September 2026, a record high and 5.6% more than a year earlier. Inside the city, ZIP 92647 in the central and northeast tracts was $1,234,059, while 90742, the Sunset Beach strip on Pacific Coast Highway, was $2,205,572.
A local agent's job is to place one house inside that range. That comes down to three questions. Which part of town: the harbour and Sunset Beach in the northwest, downtown and the bluffs in 92648, the Seacliff and southeast tracts, or the inland tracts along Beach Boulevard and Brookhurst Street. Which home type: a detached house, a townhouse, a condo or a home in a guard-gated tract. And what a fair price is when the market is close to balanced. Redfin reports that homes in the city sold at 98.9% of list price on average in the three months to September 2026, and 22.6% sold above list, so most deals close a little under the asking price.
Buying a home in Huntington Beach
Redfin's median sale price in Huntington Beach was $1,399,334 for the three months to September 2026, up 5.3% on a year earlier, with 418 homes sold and a median of 43 days on market. Zillow's typical value is a different measure that covers all homes, not only those that sold, so the two figures never match exactly. Here is how a purchase usually runs.
Step 1 for Huntington Beach buyers: set a budget at today's rate
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), a buyer who puts 20% down ($279,867) on the Redfin median of $1,399,334 pays about $7,629 a month in principal and interest. Property tax in a typical Huntington Beach rate area adds about $1,268 a month (see the local checks below). Insurance and any HOA dues come on top. Get a lender pre-approval before you tour.
Step 2 for Huntington Beach buyers: choose the ZIP and the home type
The single-family median ran from $1,242,187 in 92647 to $2,199,445 in 92648 over the three months to September 2026 (Redfin). Condos are the lower-priced route: the condo and co-op median was $512,485 in 92647 and $718,979 in 92646, though those are small samples. Our Huntington Beach ZIP code guide and Huntington Beach condo guide break this down.
Step 3 for Huntington Beach buyers: write the offer from local comparables
Supply differs a lot by ZIP. Redfin put 92646 at 1.9 months of supply with a median of 36 days on market, while 92649, which includes Huntington Harbour, had 3.9 months and 60 days. In the first, expect competition and offers near or above list. In the second, buyers have room to ask for repairs or credits. Ask your agent for the closed sales within a half mile in the last three to six months, not the citywide median.
Step 4 for Huntington Beach buyers: inspections, flood and insurance
California's standard purchase contract gives you a set period to inspect, read disclosures and line up a loan and insurance. In Huntington Beach, add a flood map check for low-lying parcels, a sewer lateral inspection on older houses, and an insurance quote before you remove contingencies. Our guide to buying a house in California walks through the contract steps.
Selling a home in Huntington Beach
Sellers are listing into a steady market. Redfin counted 479 new listings and 425 pending sales in the city in the three months to September 2026, with 2.8 months of supply and 35% of homes going under contract within two weeks. Across the Los Angeles metro, which includes Orange County, Zillow reports that 24.4% of listings had a price cut in September 2026.
Step 1 for Huntington Beach sellers: price against your own ZIP
Price per square foot sits in a narrower band here than in many coastal cities: Redfin's median ran from $767 in 92646 to $818 in 92648 over the three months to September 2026. What moves the number is lot size, distance to the sand or the water, and whether the home is in a gated or HOA tract. Ask for a comparative market analysis built from your own tract and home type.
Step 2 for Huntington Beach sellers: order disclosures before listing
California sellers give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure. Near the harbour and the wetlands, the hazard report often flags a flood zone, and buyers will ask about it early. Order the report before you list. See our California seller disclosure guide.
Step 3 for Huntington Beach sellers: work out your net proceeds
Closing costs include escrow, title, Orange County's documentary transfer tax and any commission you agree to pay. On a $1,399,334 sale, the county's $1.10 per $1,000 comes to about $1,539. Our California closing costs guide and transfer tax guide list every line.
Huntington Beach areas at a glance
Zillow publishes typical values for 30 Huntington Beach neighborhoods. The figures below are for September 2026. Our Huntington Beach neighborhoods guide covers each area in more depth.
Northwest Huntington Beach: Huntington Harbour, Sunset Beach and Bolsa Chica
The islands and channels of Huntington Harbour had a Zillow typical value of $2,546,320, up 12.8% in a year, the biggest gain of any area in the city. Coral Cay, a guard-gated tract where some homes have docks, was $4,763,797, the highest. Sunset Beach, the narrow strip between Pacific Coast Highway and the sand, was $2,136,958. Brightwater, overlooking the Bolsa Chica wetlands, was $2,827,298. Most of this area is in ZIP 92649, with Sunset Beach in 90742.
Downtown and the bluffs: Main Street, the pier and 92648
Downtown, around Main Street and the pier, was $2,023,106. Inland from it, Seacliff, the gated area around the Seacliff Country Club golf course, was $1,885,895, and Pacific Shores, a gated community of bungalows and villas, was $1,575,315. Redfin's median single-family sale in 92648 was $2,199,445, the highest of the city's main ZIPs. Gated options are listed on our gated communities in Huntington Beach page.
Southeast Huntington Beach: ZIP 92646 toward the Santa Ana River
ZIP 92646 is mostly single-family streets, with a Zillow typical value of $1,377,183. Zillow put Huntington Crest at $1,384,683, and Huntington Landmark, an age-restricted community of condos and townhomes, at $756,807, the lowest neighborhood figure in the city. ZIP 92646 had the fastest sales in the three months to September 2026, a median of 36 days (Redfin).
North-central Huntington Beach: ZIP 92647 toward Interstate 405
ZIP 92647, the inland north-central part of the city, had a Zillow typical value of $1,234,059, the lowest of the five ZIPs. Elsewhere inland, Zillow put Glen Mar at $1,416,857 and Pacific Ranch at $926,322. Redfin's median sale here was $1,199,648. Census figures show 44% of homes in the ZIP are owner-occupied, the lowest share in the city, which reflects its many apartments and condos.
Local property checks before you buy in Huntington Beach
These checks catch most of the costs that are specific to a Huntington Beach address.
- Flood zone. Look up the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, especially in Huntington Harbour, Sunset Beach and the low ground near the Bolsa Chica wetlands. A home in a Special Flood Hazard Area with a federally backed loan needs flood insurance.
- Property tax rate area. Orange County's 2026-27 rate book lists Huntington Beach rate area 04-009 at 1.09311%, which includes the city's 1966 employee retirement override and school bonds. Your rate area may differ, so check the last bill. Our Orange County property tax guide shows the full calculation.
- HOA dues and special taxes. Many townhome and gated tracts have monthly dues, and some carry extra fees for boat slips. Ask for the HOA budget, reserve study and any special assessments. Read our California HOA laws guide and Mello-Roos guide.
- Insurance. Get two quotes before removing contingencies. See our California homeowners insurance guide and, for earthquake cover, the earthquake insurance guide.
- Schools. Five districts serve parts of the city. Use each district's address lookup; our Huntington Beach schools page lists them.
How to choose a real estate agent in Huntington Beach
Interview at least two agents and ask each the same questions. Check every license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup before you sign.
- How many Huntington Beach homes have you sold or bought in the last 12 months, and in which tracts?
- What did those homes sell for against list price, and how many days did they take?
- Which three recent sales support your price for this home?
- Have you handled gated, HOA or waterfront sales with dock or slip fees?
- Who does the showings, the negotiation and the escrow follow-up?
Commission rules changed in August 2024 after the National Association of Realtors settlement. Buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and it states what the agent is paid. Offers of buyer-agent pay no longer appear on the MLS, so the fee is negotiated directly. Our California real estate commission guide explains the details.
For a starting point, see our featured local agent for Huntington Beach. How we choose featured agents explains the checks.
What buyers and sellers ask about Huntington Beach real estate
Are prices dropping? Not on the latest figures. Zillow's typical value reached a new high in September 2026, and it is 40.5% higher than five years earlier. Redfin's figures are mixed by ZIP: the three-month median rose 18.4% in 92646 and 12.7% in 92649, but fell 5.9% in 92648. Who lives in their own home? Census data (ACS 2020-2024) put the citywide owner share at 55%, with a median household income of $120,919. For costs beyond the mortgage, read our Huntington Beach cost of living guide, and for the trend see the Huntington Beach housing market report or the Orange County market data. ZIP pages: 92646, 92647, 92648 and 92649.