What the Orange County price trend shows
Zillow's typical home value for Orange County was $1,174,873 in September 2026. That is up 3.2% in a year, 36.6% over five years and 94.3% over ten, and it is the highest value the index has recorded for the county.
Redfin's median sale price tells the same story from closed sales. The September figure was $1,090,000 in 2023, $1,165,000 in 2024 and $1,200,000 in 2025. The September 2026 figure, $1,207,298, is provisional; August 2026, which is final, was $1,225,000, up 4.3% on August 2025. The spring peak this year was $1,275,000 in June.
| Redfin, Orange County, all homes | Sept 2023 | Sept 2024 | Sept 2025 | Sept 2026 (provisional) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,090,000 | $1,165,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,207,298 |
| Homes sold | 1,673 | 1,653 | 1,845 | 1,805 |
| Homes for sale (inventory) | 3,462 | 4,942 | 5,780 | 5,910 |
| Median days on market | 33 | 38 | 50 | 47 |
| Average sale-to-list | 100.5% | 99.9% | 98.7% | 98.8% |
The pattern over three years: prices up about 11%, inventory up about 71%, and homes taking two weeks longer to sell. Buyers have more to choose from than in 2023, but sellers have not had to cut the median price to sell.
Sale speed, price cuts and inventory in Orange County
Days on market: 47 in September
The median Orange County home took 47 days to go under contract in September 2026, by Redfin's count, against 50 days a year earlier. The market was fastest in spring: 35 days in April. Fall listings usually sit longer, so a home that has not sold in six weeks in October is not unusual.
Bidding: one home in four sold above list
Redfin found 25.0% of September sales closed above the list price, down from 35.9% in May. The average home sold for 98.8% of its list price, which on a $1.2 million home is a gap of about $15,000.
Price cuts: about one listing in four
Zillow measures price cuts across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro, which includes Orange County. In September 2026, 24.4% of listings there had a price cut. Read that with the Redfin numbers above, not against them: they are different measures from different sources.
Inventory: 5,910 homes, 3.3 months of supply
Redfin counted 5,910 Orange County homes for sale in September, up 2.3% in a year, with 2,107 new listings and 1,805 sales. At that pace the supply would last 3.3 months. Six months is the usual mark of a buyer's market, so the county is still on the seller's side of balanced, though not by much.
How the Orange County market differs by area and ZIP
These are Redfin's rolling three-month figures to September 2026, which are steadier than a single month. City figures cover all home types. For any ZIP below, the Orange County market data page has the monthly history.
The coast: highest prices, slowest sales
Newport Beach had a median sale price of $3,848,167, up 13.2%, with a median of 65 days on market. Laguna Beach was at $3,285,935, up 17.4%, at 71 days, and homes there sold for 96.1% of list on average. Dana Point ($2,099,000, 47 days) and San Clemente ($1,799,143, 34 days) moved faster. ZIP 92625 in Newport Beach had one of the county's highest ZIP medians, at $4,558,661. See the Newport Beach and Laguna Beach market reports.
Irvine: the one big city where prices fell
Irvine had the most sales in the county, 556 in three months, but its median sale price slipped 6.5% to $1,449,310, with 61 days on market and 4.4 months of supply. ZIP 92618 took a median of 70 days. Irvine also has large new-home communities at Great Park Neighborhoods and Portola Springs, so resale sellers compete with builders. See the Irvine housing market report.
Central and north county: fastest sales, bidding above list
Fountain Valley sold fastest of any city with 100 or more sales, at a median of 27 days, with homes closing at 101.5% of list and a median price of $1,409,329. Garden Grove (32 days, 100.9% of list), Brea (32 days, 101.3%) and Fullerton (40 days, 100.4%) also sold above list on average. Anaheim's median rose 8.6% to $969,538 and Westminster's 9.3% to $1,186,435.
South county inland: mixed
Ladera Ranch rose 16.8% to $1,448,810 and Laguna Hills 11.5% to $1,343,110, while Laguna Niguel fell 5.5% to $1,370,847 and Rancho Santa Margarita fell 2.4% to $1,024,512. Coto de Caza was down 4.0% at $1,824,131. Mission Viejo, with 268 sales, rose 6.2% to $1,224,417 and had only 2.2 months of supply.
Lower-priced cities and ZIPs
The lowest city medians with regular sales were Stanton ($662,684), La Habra ($837,101) and Santa Ana ($849,595). Santa Ana's ZIP 92707 sold at 101.0% of list. The very lowest figures, $454,284 in Laguna Woods and $469,277 in Seal Beach, reflect the 55+ co-op and condo villages there rather than cheap houses.
Houses, condos, townhomes, luxury and new builds
Redfin's county figures by home type for August 2026, the latest final month:
| Home type | Median sale price | Change in a year | Median days on market | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | $1,430,000 | +5.2% | 40 | 3.0 |
| Townhouses | $825,000 | -2.4% | 40 | 3.9 |
| Condos and co-ops | $715,000 | +0.8% | 52 | 4.3 |
Houses are doing better than condos
Detached houses gained about 5% while condos were nearly flat and sat 12 days longer. Condo buyers are weighing HOA dues, insurance and balcony inspection costs; the Orange County condos guide covers those. If you are selling a condo, price it against recent condo sales in the same complex, not the county median.
Luxury: more supply, longer waits
The cities with the highest medians, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Villa Park, had 4.2 months of supply in Newport and 5.4 in Laguna, with sales below list on average. Prices still rose there in the last year, so the slowdown is in pace, not value.
New construction
New homes are a small share of the county: the Census American Community Survey (2020 to 2024) counts 1.3% of homes built in 2020 or later. Most new for-sale homes are in Irvine's Great Park Neighborhoods and Portola Springs, and Rancho Mission Viejo. See Orange County new construction.
Is now a good time to buy a house in Orange County?
It is a better time to negotiate than at any point since 2022, but not a cheap time to borrow. Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.24% in the week of October 29, 2026. On Zillow's typical value of $1,174,873 with 20% down, principal and interest come to about $6,405 a month. Add property tax at a sample 1.05993% rate, about $1,038 a month, plus insurance and any HOA or Mello-Roos. At a 30% housing-cost share, that payment needs an income near $298,000. The Census puts the county's median household income at $116,289.
- In your favor: 5,910 homes for sale, 3.3 months of supply and three in four homes closing at or below list. You can ask for repairs or a seller credit toward a rate buydown.
- Against you: prices are at a record and still rising slowly, so waiting for a big drop has not paid off in Orange County since 2023.
Buy when the monthly cost works for at least five years at today's rate. The first-time buyer guide lists state down payment programs.
Is now a good time to sell a house in Orange County?
Yes, if you price it right. Values are at a record on Zillow's index, a quarter of homes still sell above list, and detached houses had only 3.0 months of supply in August. The risk is overpricing in a market where buyers have 5,910 homes to compare and about one metro listing in four has had a price cut. Spring listings sold fastest this year, at 35 days in April, so a March or April list date may help if you can wait.
Before you list, check what you will net after commission, the county documentary transfer tax and any city transfer tax; the transfer tax guide and closing costs guide have the rates. If you need a quick sale, compare options on the sell my house fast page.
Orange County housing market forecast: what forecasters say
We don't publish our own forecast. Two published outlooks, with their dates:
- California Association of Realtors, October 7, 2026. For 2027, C.A.R. forecasts a statewide median price of $894,400, up 1.4%, existing single-family sales up 3.7% to 277,900, and a 30-year mortgage rate averaging 6.6%. It gives no Orange County figure.
- Chapman University, February 2, 2026. Chapman's economic forecast for 2026 projected mortgage rates dipping below 6% and a recovery in home sales. Freddie Mac's rate was 7.24% at the end of October 2026, so the rate part has not happened yet.
Read forecasts as ranges, not promises. The figures to watch month to month are inventory, days on market and the share of homes selling above list, all on the county data page. For a local view on a specific street, ask our featured local agent.