Every year a lot of people are planning to buy homes in Southern California: not always in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West L.A., South Bay, but in South Orange County. The reason for this is that there are noticeable differences in the prices for homes in different parts of California, especially inland and coastal areas. Not surprisingly, the average prices for homes can vary quite a bit from one zip code to another. This is due to multiple factors.
Furthermore, the majority of places in Orange County come with tremendous value in terms of price and are very appealing. In all of these cities, the lower prices are more linked to the local housing laws, school ratings, economy, and the inventory of homes listed for sale.
The median home price in the six county region is $533,000 according to DataQuick news of CoreLogic. (source)
Areavibes ranks American cities based on a livability score that takes into account various factors, which is comprised of the cost of living, the amount of crime, educational facilities, local job market, and amenities. The livability score is based on a scale of 1 to 100.
The following are south Orange County's top picks in the order of their popularity based on data from Data USA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Newport Beach – Median home price is $2,137,900. Livability score is 83.
• Laguna Beach – Median home price is $2,016,000. Livability score is 76.
• Dana Point – Median home price is $953,900. Livability score is 86.
• Irvine – Median home price is $856,000. Livability score is 82.
• Aliso Viejo – Median home price is $633,300. Livability score is 82.
The following are the Great school ratings for these popular cities:
• Newport Beach – 8.3 (has 3 9's and 1 10-rated)
• Laguna Beach – 9 .
• Dana Point – 3.
• Irvine – 7.9 (has 7 10's, 7 9's)
• Aliso Viejo - 8.2
These are all great cities to live in. For those who have the option to relocate and to get a better price when buying a home, these should all be considered as decent choices.
