Huntington Beach appears unaffordable relative to its own citywide benchmarks. With a median household income of $120,919 annually ($10,076 monthly), median gross rent at $2,510 consumes about 25% of income, which is within typical affordability thresholds. However, the median home value of $1,100,000 implies a mortgage payment far exceeding 30% of income even with conservative assumptions, suggesting homeownership is severely strained relative to local earnings. The uniform non-housing baseline of $1,250/month further indicates that total housing + essential costs may approach or exceed income for many households.
Huntington Beach at a glance
What the default budget models
A one-person renting household begins with a modeled annual core-cost baseline of $45,120. It combines the ACS median gross-rent estimate with a uniform $1,250 monthly non-housing baseline. State income tax is excluded until a current official reference is approved; the calculator labels that limitation instead of guessing.
| 2024 ACS population estimate | 195,240 |
| 2024 ACS median household income | $120,919 |
| 2024 ACS median gross rent | $2,510 |
| 2024 ACS median owner-occupied home value | $1,100,000 |
| Derived one-way commute estimate | 31 minutes |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded — official reference pending |
| Rent-to-income reference | 25% |
The trade-off
Relative strength: Median home value is nine times median household income.. Watch closely: high home values reflect strong demand but limit access for middle-income households despite relatively moderate rent burdens..
Compare Huntington Beach
Frequently asked questions
Is Huntington Beach affordable for renters based on 2024 ACS data?
Median gross rent of $2,510 per month represents about 25% of the median monthly household income of $10,076, which falls within the commonly referenced 30% affordability threshold for rent, suggesting rental housing is moderately burdensome but not severely unaffordable relative to citywide income.
How does Huntington Beach's median home value compare to local income?
The median owner-occupied home value of $1,100,000 is approximately nine times the median household income of $120,919, indicating a significant gap between home prices and local earnings that suggests homeownership is out of reach for many residents despite moderate rent-to-income ratios.
Source ledger
Every production input below is retained with its publisher and dataset. The ACS figures are five-year estimates, not live listings or guarantees.
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B01003
- Median household incomeU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B19013
- Median gross rentU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25064
- Median owner-occupied home valueU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25077
- Commute-time distributionU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B08303
Interpretation: The ACS 2024 five-year estimates generally summarize observations across 2020–2024. The commute number is a weighted midpoint estimate from table B08303. State income tax is not included in the modeled take-home result. Verify a current address, quote, commute, and tax situation before making a decision.