Orange County has the nation\u2019s third-costliest housing, by one curious real estate metric.<\/p>\n
My trusty spreadsheet reviewed PropertyShark\u2019s annual list of the nation\u2019s 122 most-expensive ZIP codes, finding 12 Orange County ZIP codes in the 11th edition of this priciest-housing club.<\/p>\n
PropertyShark\u2019s ranking of high-end communities<\/a> tracks pricing in ZIP codes with five or more sales in the nine months ending in September 2026. The math is the median pricing from sales of houses, townhomes, condominiums and duplexes. ZIPs in Montana, Texas, Utah and Wyoming were not included due to difficulty in tracking sales values in those states.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the affordability wrinkle: Only two other counties in the nation had more neighborhoods on the list \u2013 and both were in California: Los Angeles County with 15 ZIP codes and Santa Clara County with 13.<\/p>\n After Orange County\u2019s No. 3 spot came New York\u2019s Suffolk County with 10 priciest ZIPs, and San Mateo County and Connecticut\u2019s Fairfield County with seven.<\/p>\n Now, you can take this lofty ranking as another sign of how expensive it is to live in Orange County. Or you could see it as a symbol of the county\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n How expensive are these homes? The 12 O.C. communities on the list had a typical sales price of $2.9 million.<\/p>\n Who made the list?<\/p>\n Either way, O.C.\u2019s priciest ZIP was Newport Coast 92657 at $6.1 million. It ranked No. 5 nationally and was one of nine ocean-adjacent communities among the dozen that made PropertyShark\u2019s list.<\/p>\n The other 11 \u201cmost expensive\u201d O.C. ZIPs:<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92661 at $5.8 million, No. 6 nationally.<\/p>\n \u2013 Corona del Mar 92625 at $4.3 million, No. 19.<\/p>\n \u2013 Balboa 92662 at $4 million, No. 22.<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92660 at $3.4 million, No. 38.<\/p>\n \u2013 Laguna Beach 92651 at $3.1 million, No. 47.<\/p>\n \u2013 Seal Beach\/Surfside 90743 at $2.77 million, No. 65.<\/p>\n \u2013 Villa Park 92861 at $2.75 million, No. 66.<\/p>\n \u2013 Newport Beach 92663 at $2.7 million, No. 69.<\/p>\n \u2013 Irvine 92603 at $2.3 million, No. 110.<\/p>\n \u2013 Irvine 92602 at $2.25 million, No. 117.<\/p>\n \u2013 Huntington Beach 90742 at $2.24 million, No. 118<\/p>\n Stately status<\/p>\n Need another reminder that California housing is really expensive?<\/p>\n Well, 69 neighborhoods in the Golden State made PropertyShark\u2019s list<\/a>. That\u2019s easily No. 1, well ahead of New York\u2019s 20, New Jersey\u2019s 7, Connecticut\u2019s 7, and Massachusetts\u2019 five.<\/p>\n Also, the nation\u2019s costliest ZIP code for 2026 is a Golden State neighborhood: The Bay Area\u2019s Atherton 94027 at $10.7 million.<\/p>\n Or ponder minor progress on affordability. PropertyShark noted that California accounted for 57% of this year\u2019s priciest ZIPs, down from a peak of 73% in 2019.<\/p>\n Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com<\/a><\/p>\n