Huntington Beach receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Huntington Beach
Mission Viejo
Opportunity: Huntington Beach is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth: Huntington Beach is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
38 · Bottom 29%
vs15 · Bottom 4%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 7%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability: Mission Viejo is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
39 · Bottom 4%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access: Huntington Beach is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs86 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability: Mission Viejo is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
67 · Top 35%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Huntington Beach | Mission Viejo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 195,240 | 92,151 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,919 | $136,123 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,102 | $61,910 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,236/sq mi | 5,218/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,100,000 | $1,009,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,510 | $2,839 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 76.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.0% | 52.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 5.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 322 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.9% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.2" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.9 min | 28.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.0 | 45.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 31 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.14 | 22.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.4% | 40.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Huntington Beach
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Mission Viejo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Huntington Beach
59
Your Score
52
Area Score
Mission Viejo
55
Your Score
49
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Huntington Beach, CA · Mission Viejo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology