Huntington Beach, CA
Census place 0636000 · pop 195,240
Trademarked as "Surf City USA," famed for its pier and Southern California surf culture.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,100,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,056/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
16 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
28 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2005 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
207 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
49.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.57% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$120,919 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
24.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Huntington Beach, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Huntington Beach scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Huntington Beach, CA?
- Huntington Beach reports 207 violent crimes per 100k and 2005 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Huntington Beach, CA expensive to live in?
- Huntington Beach has a median home value of $1,100,000 and typical rent around $3,056/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Huntington Beach, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,100,000) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Huntington Beach, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (24.0%) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Trademarked as "Surf City USA," famed for its pier and Southern California surf culture.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.