The Town FilesSeal Beach, California
City in Orange County · population 25,242 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $486,800
- Household income
- $85,964
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 14
- Median age
- 61.5
Seal Beach is a city of 25,242 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $486,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 90% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 80% of California towns, hipper than 79% of California towns.
How Seal 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Seal Beach is worth $486,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.7 times the median household income of $85,964, which is more affordable than 63% of California towns. Median rent is $2,649 a month. 76.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Seal Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $486,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,649 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $85,964 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 76.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.6% | — |
Who lives in Seal Beach
| People | Seal Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 43.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 12.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 7.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.6% | — |
| Work from home | 25.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Seal Beach
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 46.9°F. About 12.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Seal Beach since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 9, 1982 about 6.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on January 31, 1979.
Severe weather in Orange County since 1996
Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Fire | FM-5679: Norte Fire |
| May 25, 2026 | Chemical | EM-3646: Chemical Release |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2022 | Fire | FM-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 Seal Beach itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.
Public schools in Seal Beach
1 public school with 727 students, about 22.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. H. McGaugh Elementary | K-5 | 727 | 22.7 |
Towns near Seal Beach
- Rossmoor, CA2.4 mi · 10,625 people · home $1,406,900
- Los Alamitos, CA3.0 mi · 11,780 people · home $1,061,900
- Westminster, CA4.5 mi · 90,911 people · home $858,300
- Cypress, CA4.8 mi · 50,151 people · home $913,900
- Midway City, CA5.0 mi · 8,825 people · home $788,600
- Hawaiian Gardens, CA5.3 mi · 14,149 people · home $554,100
- Stanton, CA5.5 mi · 37,962 people · home $579,300
- Huntington Beach, CA5.5 mi · 198,711 people · home $1,100,000
Seal Beach questions
Is Seal Beach, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Seal Beach scores better for retirees than 58% of California towns and quieter than 48%. 43.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 61.5).
How much does a house cost in Seal Beach?
The median owner-occupied home in Seal Beach is valued at $486,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,964, so homes cost about 5.7 times income. Median rent is $2,649 a month.
What is the weather like in Seal Beach?
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 46.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Seal Beach get tornadoes?
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Seal Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 9, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)