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City · 24,722 residents · Orange County, California

Seal Beach , California

In Seal Beach, a typical home is worth $486,800 and typical rent is $2,649 a month. Compared with all of Orange County, the typical home value is 49% lower, typical household income is 26% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 20 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $486,800

    49% below the county

    34% below California

    • Seal Beach
    • Orange
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $2,649a month

    9% above the county

    30% above California

    • Seal Beach
    • Orange
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $85,964a year

    26% below the county

    13% below California

    • Seal Beach
    • Orange
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    77%

    20 points above the county

    21 points above California

    • Seal Beach
    • Orange
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$838,369
4.5% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,935 a month
4.4% less than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Seal Beach is in Orange County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Orange County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Seal Beach apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical home in Seal Beach is worth $486,800, 49% less than in Orange County as a whole ($962,600).

  2. 77% of households in Seal Beach own their home, against 56% in Orange County.

  3. Nearby, in Midway City, the typical rent is $1,611: 39% less than in Seal Beach ($2,649).

  4. The typical household income in Seal Beach is $85,964, 26% less than in Orange County as a whole ($116,289).

  5. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Seal Beach rose 4.5%; in California, it rose 0.6%.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Seal Beach

What homes there are in Seal Beach, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Homes in Seal Beach are varied: detached houses are the largest group, at 36%, against 49% in Orange County.

Year built

In Seal Beach, half of the homes were built before 1966; in Orange County, before 1977.

In Seal Beach, 22% of homes have 1 bedroom or none (studios); 35% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 56% in Orange County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$3,769 a month

Orange County: $3,385 a month

Without a mortgage

$827 a month

Orange County: $902 a month

Owners with a mortgage

31%

Orange County: 67%

In Seal Beach, 31% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $3,769 a month, against $3,385 in Orange County. Without one it drops to $827.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Seal Beach rose 31% since 2015–2019, less than in Orange County (42%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Seal Beach rose 39%, more than in Orange County (31%).

Here income did not keep up with housing: it rose 25%, while home values changed +31% and rent +39%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSeal BeachOrange CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy 5.6%4.4%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room 1.7%8.9%8.2%3.4%
People per household 1.902.872.842.53
Drive alone 67%68%66%69%
Carpool 3%9%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Walk or bike 3%2%3%3%
Work from home 26%19%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

The rental vacancy rate in Seal Beach is 5.6%, higher than in Orange County (4.4%).

In Seal Beach, 1.7% of households live with more than one person per room, against 8.9% in Orange County.

On average, a household in Seal Beach has 1.90 people, fewer than in Orange County (2.87).

In Seal Beach, 26% of workers work from home, more than in Orange County (19%).

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Seal Beach?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Seal Beach, worth $486,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 55% of the typical household income in Seal Beach, which is $85,964 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $167,993 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Orange County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Seal Beach. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $17,038 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,920

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$477,983
Total interest
$687,705
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $8,221 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,006 a month

  • Tight

    $2,006 to $2,579 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,579 a month

    Your payment · 55%

Compared with the typical household income in Seal Beach ($85,964 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,920
Principal & interest$3,238
Property tax$264
Home insurance$203
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$215

You need at least $17,038 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Seal Beach and Orange County

Seal Beach is in Orange County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Seal Beach's own numbers

Typical home value
$486,800
Typical monthly rent
$2,649
Typical yearly household income
$85,964
Households that own their home
77%
Effective property tax rate
0.65%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Orange County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$3,057
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.8%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Orange County.

Everything about Orange County

Buying

Buying a home in Seal Beach

A typical home in Seal Beach is worth $486,800: 49% below the county and 34% below California. With the typical household income in Seal Beach ($85,964 a year), a typical home costs 5.7 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Seal Beach 5.7 years
  • Orange 8.3 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Orange County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Orange County rose 89% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Orange County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.3% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +54% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +89% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Seal Beach next to Orange County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Seal Beach $486,800
  • Orange $962,600
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Seal Beach $2,649
  • Orange $2,434
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Seal Beach $85,964
  • Orange $116,289
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Seal Beach next to Orange County and California
Measure Seal Beach Orange County California U.S.
Typical home value $486,800 $962,600 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $2,649 $2,434 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $85,964 $116,289 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 77% 56% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,154 $6,330 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.65% 0.66% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 54% 57% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Orange County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Seal Beach

For a typical $486,800 home in Seal Beach, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Seal Beach's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,920a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $17,038
    Cash to close
    $31,642
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $215

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,831a month

    Down payment
    $24,340
    Cash to close
    $38,944
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $231

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,105a month

    Down payment
    $97,360
    Cash to close
    $111,964
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,555a month

    Down payment
    $73,020
    Cash to close
    $87,624
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Seal Beach and for Orange County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Seal Beach

0.65%of the home’s value each year

$3,154 a year for the typical owner in Seal Beach.

  • Seal Beach 0.65%
  • Orange 0.66%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Orange County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Orange County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.8%
22,389
Of those, with NFIP insurance
19%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.8% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 19% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Seal Beach

Typical rent in Seal Beach is $2,649 a month: 9% above the county. In Seal Beach, 54% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Orange County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($3,057 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $58.79 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Orange County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $2,580 $49.62 $103,200
1 bedroom $2,610 $50.19 $104,400
2 bedrooms $3,057 $58.79 $122,280
3 bedrooms $4,153 $79.87 $166,120
4 bedrooms $4,964 $95.46 $198,560

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Seal Beach

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Seal Beach has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $3,070 in 90743 to $3,150 in 90740.

2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Orange County ($3,057).

  • 90740 $3,150$4,280
  • 90743 $3,070$4,170

A ZIP code counts for Seal Beach when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Seal Beach

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 10 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Orange County; 6 say they serve in Spanish.

A young man and a young woman look something up together on a laptop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Seal Beach

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Seal Beach or Orange County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Seal Beach the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Seal Beach

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Seal Beach, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Korean Community Services

    7212 Orangethorpe Ave Ste 8, Buena Park · 8 miles away

    Also serves in Korean.

    • Budget and credit workshops
    • Homelessness services
    • and 2 more
    (714) 449-1125

  • Fair Housing Foundation

    3605 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach · 8 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Arabic, American Sign Language (ASL), Cambodian, Cantonese, and 19 more languages.

    • Rental counseling
    • Rental workshops
    (562) 989-1206

  • Vital Access Care Foundation

    17150 Newhope St, Fountain Valley · 9 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Vietnamese.

    • Budget and credit workshops
    • Homelessness services
    • and 2 more
    (888) 497-1511

Every agency in Orange County All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Seal Beach

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Seal Beach

HUD’s record names them for Seal Beach or Orange County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

3 other authorities have an office in Orange County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Orange County

These cities are also in Orange County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Orange County Housing in California
See 28 more cities in Orange County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Seal Beach, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Orange County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Seal Beach.

All guides
A family roasts marshmallows over a campfire at a forest campsite.

Questions

Housing questions about Seal Beach

Short answers with the numbers for Seal Beach and all of Orange County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Seal Beach?

The typical home value in Seal Beach is $486,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Orange County it is $962,600.

How much does it cost to rent in Seal Beach?

Typical rent in Seal Beach is $2,649 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Orange County is $3,057.

What is the FHA loan limit in Seal Beach?

Seal Beach uses the FHA limit for all of Orange County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Seal Beach?

The typical homeowner in Seal Beach pays $3,154 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.65% of the home’s value; in Orange County, the rate is 0.66%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Seal Beach?

There are 10 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Orange County. 6 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).