Orange County, CA Housing Market Brief
county · CA · score computed October 2026
What is Orange County, CA’s Alpha Score?
The Alpha Score is a composite 0–100 index of market strength, a weighted blend of five dimensions. See the methodology.
Population band 5 of 5 (population 103,008–9,808,667) · comparable within its band
Where is Orange County, CA in its market cycle?
Orange County, CA is classified as Recovering — turning back up after a downturn. This is a classification of recent (1–12 month) momentum, not a price forecast.
What’s the forecast for Orange County, CA?
County-level forecasts are paused (since Oct 18, 2026). The new public-data model we built to replace them didn't pass our accuracy test, and we won't publish forecasts again until a model does.
Orange County, CA housing market data
| Metric | Value | YoY | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1.2M | ▲ +0.6% | Redfin |
| Median Days on Market | 47 days | ▼ -6% | Redfin |
| Months of Supply | 3.3 | ▲ +6.5% | Redfin |
| Homes for Sale | 5,910 | ▲ +2.3% | Redfin |
| Homes Sold | 1,805 | ▼ -2.2% | Redfin |
| Median Price / Sq Ft | $679 | ▲ +1.2% | Redfin |
How has Orange County, CA’s Alpha Score moved?
Markets like Orange County, CA
- Suffolk County, MA, MAcounty29
- Cowlitz County, WA, WAcounty30
- Polk County, OR, ORcounty28
- Middlesex County, MA, MAcounty28
- Norfolk County, MA, MAcounty29
- Skagit County, WA, WAcounty33
- Ventura County, CA, CAcounty24
- Island County, WA, WAcounty29
- Worcester County, MA, MAcounty30
- San Luis Obispo County, CA, CAcounty28
Frequently asked questions
Is Orange County, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
In the scores computed October 2026, Orange County, CA is classified as a Buyer's Market, based on its Alpha Score of 28 out of 100. The classification reflects current price, building, affordability, economic, and rental-yield conditions.
Are home prices rising or falling in Orange County, CA?
The median sale price in Orange County, CA is $1.2M, having risen 0.6% over the past year, according to Redfin.
How affordable is Orange County, CA?
Orange County, CA scores 1 out of 100 on affordability — relatively unaffordable relative to local incomes and prevailing mortgage rates compared with other counties.
What's driving Orange County, CA's Alpha Score?
Orange County, CA's strongest dimension is Economic Strength (56/100) and its weakest is Affordability (1/100). The Alpha Score is a weighted blend of all five dimensions.
Want the live, interactive view of Orange County, CA? Open the full market dashboard — charts, ZIP-level drill-down, and watchlist tracking. Explore the map or read the methodology.