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In this report: an update on the Orange County, California real estate market, where the median home price just hit $1.146 million in 2025.
Recently, the median home price in Orange County rose above the $1.1 million threshold for the first time ever. And now, at the start of 2025, home prices in Orange County have cleared the $1.146 million mark.
As usual, supply and demand are driving these recent housing market trends in the area. Orange County real estate home inventory levels have declined a bit over the past year, while home sales have increased. This makes the market more competitive while boosting prices at the same time.
Let’s take a closer look at the Orange County housing market, and how current conditions could affect how you get into this hot market in Southern California.
According to the latest data from Zillow, the median home value for the Orange County, California housing market was nearly $1.1 million last month. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data and other sources confirm this milestone.
The average home price in Orange County rose by around 8.5% over the past year, according to Zillow.
The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) puts the median home price even higher. In a report published earlier today, C.A.R. reported that the median sale price for existing single-family homes in Orange County hit $1,146,000 last month.
That marked an increase of more than 8.5% from a year earlier.
These reports confirm something we already knew: the Orange County real estate market (and Southern California as a whole) is currently one of the hottest regional markets in the United States.
Home prices across the Orange County housing market are currently rising at a faster pace than the national average, while smashing records along the way.
And there’s really no mystery why this is happening. The C.A.R. report mentioned above offered some revealing data about the lopsided supply-and-demand situation in O.C.
According to the California Association of Realtors, home sales in Orange County rose by a whopping 13% over the past year.
This surge in sales activity comes at a time when supply levels remain low. Last month, the Orange County real estate market had about a 2.5-month supply of homes for sale, according to C.A.R. data. That was down from 2.9 months a year earlier.
To put this inventory issue into perspective, a balanced market is characterized by a roughly 5- to 6-month supply of available homes. So, less than a 3-month supply is a far cry of where O.C. needs to be to reach a balanced market.
The bottom line here is that an already tight real estate market has become even more constrained, at a time when there are more purchases taking place. This imbalance puts upward pressure on home prices and makes the Orange County housing market more competitive for buyers.
The continued decrease in mortgage rates had a lot to do with the trend in a higher share of homes sold in Orange County, in addition to general economic stability.
While mortgage rates remain relatively high compared to a few years ago, they continue on a decreasing trend. As of the first week of January 2025, the rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is currently 6.69%. That’s a lot lower than the high of 7.74% that we saw in October 2023. So, this is good news for buyers when it comes to saving money in mortgages.
O.C. home buyers who are planning to enter the market in 2025 should also be prepared for quick sales and potential bidding wars.
Last month, homes listed for sale across the county spent a median of just 20 days on the market before going under contract. That was down from a median of 35 days a year earlier.
In addition to selling quickly, many homes within the Orange County housing market are currently selling for more than the original listing price.
In February, 46% of homes sold in Orange County ended up selling for more than the list price. In comparison, the nationwide “sold above list” percentage was around 26% last month.
This reinforces a point made earlier. Like much of Southern California, the O.C. housing market is hotter than most other major metros across the U.S.
Given the current supply and demand situation, the Orange County real estate scene tends to favor sellers over buyers in 2025. These conditions could continue for the foreseeable future, so buyers should enter the market with the right mindset.
In addition to the purchase price and mortgage, there are other cots associated with buying a home in O.C.
Generally speaking, closing costs in Orange County range from 1% to 2% of the purchase price of the home, on average. These costs include a variety of services and fees, including the following:
With a high level of competition and low inventory, the Orange County housing market presents some unique challenges for home buyers. But for every challenge there’s a solution, especially if you enter the market well-prepared.
Here are some proactive steps you can take to increase your chance for success:
If you’re planning to buy a home, having an understanding of the current Orange County housing market is key to a successful transaction. Be sure to partner with an experienced and local real estate agent and mortgage specialist to get the process started!
Need financing? Sammamish Mortgage now serves Orange County home buyers, as well as buyers all across the state of California. We offer flexible qualification criteria and some of the lowest rates you’ll find anywhere. Please contact us if you need a mortgage loan to buy a home in Orange County!
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.