Orange County, CA Housing Market Brief
county · CA · score computed September 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?
Our model forecasts Orange County, CA’s home prices to hold flat over the next 12 months (high confidence).
This is a separate, forward-looking view — not the cycle classification above. See how past forecasts performed on the track record, or the full local forecast with its confidence range on the market page.
Orange County, CA housing market data
| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $1.2M | ▲ +3.3% |
| Median Days on Market | 43 days | ▼ -15.7% |
| Months of Supply | 3.2 | ▼ -3% |
| Homes for Sale | 6,244 | ▼ -2.4% |
| Homes Sold | 2,025 | ▲ +2.4% |
| Median Price / Sq Ft | $686 | ▲ +1.2% |
Markets like Orange County, CA
- Suffolk County, MA, MAcounty29
- Cowlitz County, WA, WAcounty30
- Middlesex County, MA, MAcounty28
- Norfolk County, MA, MAcounty29
- Polk County, OR, ORcounty27
- Skagit County, WA, WAcounty33
- Ventura County, CA, CAcounty24
- San Luis Obispo County, CA, CAcounty28
- Worcester County, MA, MAcounty30
- Island County, WA, WAcounty29
Frequently asked questions
Is Orange County, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
In the scores computed September 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 3.3% over the past year.
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.