Seal Beach, CA

Census place 0670686 · pop 24,722

D−44/ 100
🫤 Rough
C
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Smoking6.4% · top 2%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 4%
Taxes
0.65% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1004

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.

Rent$3,175/mo6

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$3,175/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Income inequality0.5010

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level16 days13

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.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

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.

Property crime rate2770/100k14

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

2770 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate490/100k18

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

490 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Housing cost$486,80020

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$486,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Commute time29 min21

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

29 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Broadband access90.9%44

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

90.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Population growth (5yr)+2.1%45

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+2.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.7%47

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.

Median household income$85,96463

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$85,964 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Physical inactivity21.3%71

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

21.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poverty rate6.7%77

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

6.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property-tax burden0.65%79

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.65% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Homeownership76.6%80

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

76.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Bachelor's degree or higher51.4%83

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

51.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Uninsured adults4.4%96

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

4.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Poor mental health12.3%96

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

12.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult obesity21.3%98

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

21.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Adult smoking6.4%98

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

6.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Frequently asked

Is Seal Beach, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Seal Beach scores 44/100 — 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 smoking and its weakest is natural disaster risk. 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 Seal Beach, CA?
Seal Beach reports 490 violent crimes per 100k and 2770 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Seal Beach, CA expensive to live in?
Seal Beach has a median home value of $486,800 and typical rent around $3,175/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Seal Beach, CA?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Seal Beach, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is adult smoking (6.4%) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.