What a local Newport Beach agent helps you decide
Newport Beach has six residential ZIP codes and a price gap of almost $3 million between the cheapest and the dearest. Zillow's typical home value in September 2026 was $2,742,048 in 92663, which takes in West Newport, Newport Heights and Lido Isle, and $5,547,446 in 92657, the Newport Coast hills. The citywide figure was $3,710,827, up 10.1% in a year and at an all-time high for the series.
The housing stock is mixed. Census figures for 2020-2024 show 45.3% of the city's 45,185 homes are detached houses, 17.5% are attached townhomes and 19.4% sit in buildings of 20 or more units. About 52% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and 2,356 homes are held for seasonal or occasional use, which matters when you are reading a street for year-round neighbors and rental activity.
That spread is why a local agent earns their fee here. The three questions that shape almost every Newport Beach purchase or sale are: which side of the water (oceanfront, bayfront, island or inland), whether a house is a keeper or a teardown lot, and what the flood map, harbor rules and HOA documents add to the real cost. The sections below walk through each one.
Buying a home in Newport Beach
Redfin's median sale price in Newport Beach was $3,848,167 for the three months to September 2026, up 13.2% on a year earlier. It counted 284 sales, a median of 65 days on market and a median of $1,642 a square foot. Homes sold for 96.9% of their final list price on average, and only 8.9% sold above it.
Step 1 for Newport Beach buyers: price the loan, not just the house
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on the Redfin median is $769,633 and principal and interest on the remaining $3,078,534 is about $20,980 a month. Almost every purchase here needs a jumbo loan, and jumbo pricing differs from the conforming average, so get a written quote before you set a budget. Add property tax: most Newport Beach tax rate areas carry a total rate of 1.05129% for 2026-27.
Step 2: pick the ZIP before the house
| ZIP | Redfin median sale price | One-year change | Homes sold | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92657 | $6,235,668 | +18.2% | 27 | 53 |
| 92625 | $4,558,661 | +23.2% | 69 | 64 |
| 92661 | $4,248,752 | +7.6% | 16 | 70 |
| 92662 | $3,735,612 | -15.1% | 15 | 84 |
| 92660 | $3,468,981 | +15.6% | 94 | 67 |
| 92663 | $3,391,503 | +23.3% | 64 | 65 |
Figures are Redfin, all residential, three months to September 2026. The smaller ZIPs (92661 and 92662) have so few sales that one waterfront closing can move the median by hundreds of thousands, which is why 92662 shows a fall while the city rose.
Step 3: write offers that match the pace
With homes taking about two months to sell and few selling above list, a buyer usually has room to negotiate on price, credits or timing. The exception is the turnkey house in a sought-after pocket: Redfin found 23.4% of Newport Beach homes went under contract within two weeks. Ask your agent which group a listing belongs to before you choose your opening number.
Step 4: order the inspections a coastal house needs
Beyond a general inspection, budget for a sewer lateral camera, a roof and deck check, and on bay and harbor lots a look at the bulkhead or seawall and any dock. Pull the city's permit history so you know which additions were approved. For the step-by-step legal process, see how to buy a house in California.
Selling a home in Newport Beach
Sellers face a slower market than the headline price rise suggests. Redfin counted 337 new listings and 294 pending sales in the three months to September 2026, with 391 homes on the market at the end of the period, about 4.2 months of supply. In the wider Los Angeles metro, Zillow reports that 24.4% of listings had a price cut in September 2026.
Step 1 for Newport Beach sellers: price by the square foot of your own pocket
The citywide median hides a wide range. Redfin's median was $2,202 a square foot in 92661 and $1,284 in 92660 over the same three months. A house on the Balboa Peninsula and one near Eastbluff should never be priced from the same comparables, even at the same size.
Step 2: decide whether you are selling a house or a lot
Many older coastal homes sell for their land. If your house is a small cottage, ask your agent to show both values: the price as a home to keep and the price as a site to rebuild. The city's voluntary cottage preservation program lets owners add up to 50% of existing floor area, or 750 square feet, without the usual parking upgrade, which can change what a buyer will pay for a cottage they plan to keep.
Step 3: get the disclosures and permits ready early
Buyers here look hard at flood zones, unpermitted additions and short-term rental history. If you rent the home for under 30 days, the city requires a business license and a short-term lodging permit, and only certain residential districts allow it. Have the permit record ready. Our California seller disclosure guide covers the statewide forms, and California transfer tax explains the county charge at closing.
Newport Beach areas at a glance
Values below are Zillow's typical home value for September 2026. Our Newport Beach neighborhoods guide compares each area in more detail.
Corona del Mar (92625)
The old village around Coast Highway, its flower-named streets and the cliffs above Corona del Mar State Beach. Zillow's typical value for the neighborhood was $4,310,953, up 9.6% in a year. Read our Corona del Mar guide.
Newport Coast (92657)
The hillside communities next to Crystal Cove State Park, annexed to the city on January 1, 2002, and run largely through master homeowners associations. Zillow's typical value was $5,540,657. See our Newport Coast guide.
Balboa Peninsula (92661)
The peninsula runs along the ocean, with older beach cottages mixed among newer rebuilds; the city's cottage preservation program names it as one of the places those small homes survive. ZIP 92661 had a Zillow typical value of $4,704,738, up 15.0%, the fastest rise in the city. Census data show only 39% of its occupied homes are owner-occupied, so expect rentals nearby.
Balboa Island (92662)
A densely built island in the bay, with homes close together on small lots. ZIP 92662 had a typical value of $4,647,099, up 14.1%. Sales are few, so expect thin comparables and longer marketing: Redfin's median days on market was 84.
Lido Isle, West Newport and Newport Heights (92663)
The Lido Isle Community Association describes the island as about 850 homes in the middle of Newport Bay. The rest of 92663 runs from the West Newport beach streets up to the Newport Heights grid. At $2,742,048, it is the lowest typical value of the six ZIPs.
Eastbluff, the Back Bay and Newport Center (92660)
The inland side of the city around Eastbluff, Mariners and the Newport Center office and shopping district. ZIP 92660 had a typical value of $3,270,812 and the most sales of any ZIP, 94 in three months, which gives buyers the deepest set of comparables. John Wayne Airport sits on the city's northern boundary, so check flight paths for any address here.
Local property checks before you buy in Newport Beach
- Flood zone and coastal flooding. Enter the address in the city's FEMA flood map lookup. Homes in a special flood hazard area face elevation rules on major remodels and lenders will require flood insurance. After the fall 2026 storms the city opened a Coastal Flood Recovery program with same-day express permits for repairs in areas named in its emergency proclamations. Ask the seller whether the home took water and what was repaired.
- Airport noise. John Wayne Airport sits on the city's northern boundary and handles about 11.3 million passengers and 130 commercial flights a day, according to the city. The city notes that homes sit directly below the primary departure pattern. Visit at different times of day before you commit.
- Short-term rental rules. Rentals under 30 days need a city permit and are limited to certain districts. Do not assume a home's past vacation-rental income will carry over to you.
- Fire hazard zones. Homes along open space such as the city's 254-acre Buck Gully Reserve and the Newport Coast canyons can fall in a mapped fire hazard zone. Check the CAL FIRE map and read our California wildfire zones guide, then get an insurance quote early using our California homeowners insurance guide.
- Property tax and special charges. Most Newport Beach parcels pay a total rate of 1.05129% in 2026-27, while some tax rate areas are lower (1.02605%) or higher (1.14059%). On the Zillow typical value of $3,710,827, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, the first-year bill at 1.05129% would be about $38,938 before any direct charges. Read the county tax bill for assessments, and see Orange County property tax and Mello-Roos.
- Water provider. The city's Utilities Department supplies much of Newport Beach, while the Irvine Ranch Water District also serves parts of the city. Confirm which agency serves the address, since rates differ.
How to choose a real estate agent in Newport Beach
Interview at least two agents and ask each the same questions. Then check every license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup.
- How many Newport Beach sales have you closed in the last 12 months, and in which ZIPs?
- Have you sold on the water: bayfront, harbor or oceanfront? What did the bulkhead or dock inspection show?
- Which three recent sales support your price, and why those three?
- Will you handle the showings and negotiation yourself, or will a team member?
- What is your fee, and what exactly does it cover?
Commissions are negotiable and have always been. Since the 2024 changes to how agents are paid, a buyer signs a written agreement with their own agent before touring, and that agreement states the fee. Read California real estate commission for the details.
If you want a starting point, read about our featured local agent and how we checked their record. Interview them the same way you would anyone else.
What buyers and sellers ask about Newport Beach real estate
Are prices dropping? Not on the latest data. Zillow's typical value rose 10.1% in the year to September 2026 and set a new high, and it is 129.8% higher than ten years earlier. Price cuts are common on individual listings, though, so watch the days on market for any home you like.
Why do people move out? Census figures suggest most do not: 83.8% of residents lived in the same home a year earlier (ACS 2020-2024). For costs, see Newport Beach cost of living, and for the wider picture, is Newport Beach a good place to live. Market updates are on our Newport Beach housing market page.