The Town Files

Newport Beach, California

City in Orange County · population 85,239 (2020 Census)

Map: where Newport Beach is in CaliforniaNewport Beach
Median home
$2,000,001
Household income
$156,867
Jan low / Jul high
50° / 72°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
16
Median age
45.9

Newport Beach is a city of 85,239 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 98% of California towns, more upscale than 93% of California towns, more seaside character than 91% of California towns.

How Newport Beach ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Newport Beach lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement73rd pctFamilies36th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability70th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals98th pctVibrancy87th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town44th pctUpscale93rd pctVacation homes83rd pctSeaside character91st pctCycling81st pctTransit49th pctDriving26th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Newport Beach is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 12.7 times the median household income of $156,867, which is more affordable than 2% of California towns. Median rent is $3,316 a month. 52.1% of households own their home.

Newport Beach vs Orange County vs typical California townNewport BeachOrange CountyTypical California townHome value$2,000,001$962,600$596,900Household income$156,867$116,289$91,557Monthly rent$3,316$2,434$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingNewport BeachTypical California town
Median home value$2,000,001$596,900
Median rent$3,316$1,827
Median household income$156,867$91,557
Home value ÷ income12.7×6.4×
Homeownership52.1%67.4%
Median year built19781977
Seasonal / vacation homes5.2%—

Who lives in Newport Beach

PeopleNewport BeachTypical California town
Median age45.940.2
Age 65 and over24.2%17.7%
Under 1816.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher69.6%27.7%
Below the poverty line6.6%10.3%
Veterans4.4%—
Born outside the U.S.16.0%—
Work from home28.9%13.4%
Average commute22.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.0%93.3%

Weather in Newport Beach

July highs average 71.8°F and January lows 50.4°F. About 9.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Newport Beach monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°65°50°Jan63°51°Feb65°53°Mar66°55°Apr67°58°May68°62°Jun72°65°Jul73°66°Aug74°64°Sep73°60°Oct68°55°Nov64°50°DecPrecipitation (in)2.22.41.30.60.20.10.00.00.10.30.61.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newport Beach Harbor station (1.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newport Beach since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 7, 1966 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2007.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Newport Beach by decade11950s41960s11970s11980s71990s22000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on January 31, 1979.

Severe weather in Orange County since 1996

Storm events in Orange County since 1996 by typeHeat33Flood80Wildfire41Dense Fog75High Surf58High Wind228Heavy Rain58Flash Flood58
NOAA Storm Events Database, Orange County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 24 deaths recorded.

Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 16, 2026FireFM-5679: Norte Fire
May 25, 2026ChemicalEM-3646: Chemical Release
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
May 12, 2022FireFM-5439: Coastal Fire

Jobs and pay in Orange County

Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Newport Beach itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

Largest industries in Orange CountyHealth care & social assistan…228,409 jobs · $64,644Hotels & restaurants174,391 jobs · $35,198Manufacturing153,972 jobs · $112,623Retail143,993 jobs · $50,475Administrative & support137,200 jobs · $57,310Professional & technical serv…136,974 jobs · $121,683
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Orange County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Orange 3.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Newport Beach

12 public schools with 9,419 students, about 21.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Newport Harbor High9-122,21723.3
Corona del Mar High7-122,04221.7
Suncoast Preparatory Academy (charter)K-121,06727.4
Horace Ensign Intermediate7-892422.0
Mariners ElementaryK-655519.1
Newport Heights ElementaryK-647819.9
Newport Coast ElementaryK-646920.4
Eastbluff ElementaryK-638020.0
Harbor View ElementaryK-633818.8
Newport ElementaryK-633119.5
Roy O. Andersen ElementaryK-632420.3
Abraham Lincoln ElementaryK-629416.3

Towns near Newport Beach

Newport Beach questions

Is Newport Beach, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Newport Beach scores better for retirees than 73% of California towns and quieter than 39%. 24.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.9).

How much does a house cost in Newport Beach?

The median owner-occupied home in Newport Beach is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $156,867, so homes cost about 12.7 times income. Median rent is $3,316 a month.

What is the weather like in Newport Beach?

July highs average 71.8°F and January lows 50.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Newport Beach get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newport Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 7, 1966. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Newport Beach's Census boundary (GEOID 0651182). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.