Seaside

What is Seaside, California?

Seaside is a coastal city on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, sitting on Highway 1 between Marina to the north and Monterey to the south. With roughly 32,366 residents at the 2020 census, it is the largest city on the Monterey Peninsula, and it holds some of the region’s more attainable prices next to Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel.

The value proposition is straightforward. You get Monterey Bay ocean access, a temperate coastal climate, and a location minutes from Monterey’s job base and downtown, at a per-square-foot price that tends to run below the peninsula’s marquee towns. Seaside also carries a large stock of former Fort Ord land now in civilian reuse, which means newer subdivisions sit alongside mid-century blocks built for a military-era population.

Browse the current Seaside listings below, or contact The Knight Group to talk through which pocket of the city fits your budget and timeline.

Where is Seaside located on the Monterey Peninsula?

Seaside occupies the northeast corner of the Monterey Peninsula, wrapping around the inland edge of Monterey Bay. Downtown Monterey is about three miles south, roughly a ten-minute drive. Marina sits directly north, Sand City and Del Rey Oaks border it, and Salinas is about a half hour inland to the east.

The city rises from the shoreline up into hills, so elevation and orientation drive a lot of the value here. Higher parcels can pull in views across the bay toward Monterey and the Santa Cruz coastline, while flatter blocks closer to Fremont Boulevard trade the view for convenience and, usually, a lower price. That topography is one of the first things to map when you shop Seaside, because two homes a few streets apart can sit in very different view and wind exposures.

How much do homes in Seaside cost?

Seaside prices sit in the high six figures, with the exact figure depending on which source and methodology you read. Zillow put the typical Seaside home value near $747,000 in 2026, and reported it down about 3.1% over the prior year. Redfin reported a median sale price of roughly $861,000 as of May 2026, up about 5.1% year over year. NeighborhoodScout has listed a median around $860,800. The spread between these numbers is normal: Zillow estimates a typical value across all homes, while Redfin and NeighborhoodScout track actual closed sales, which skew toward whatever mix sold recently.

Two data points matter as much as the median. First, Redfin reported homes taking about 86 days to sell in the recent period, versus roughly 36 days a year earlier, which signals a market that has cooled and given buyers more room to negotiate. Second, NeighborhoodScout has cited a trailing twelve-month appreciation rate near 5.76%, below the pace of many other communities. Read together, the picture is a market that has softened from its peak but has not collapsed. For a buyer, that means less competition and more time for due diligence than the peninsula offered a few years ago. Treat every one of these figures as a starting reference, not a valuation of any specific home, and ask The Knight Group for a comparable-sales read on the exact block you are considering.

What kinds of homes does Seaside have?

Single-family detached houses dominate Seaside. NeighborhoodScout data has put detached homes at roughly 59.6% of the housing stock, followed by larger apartment buildings near 14.6%, attached and row houses near 11.8%, and duplexes or small multifamily near 10.5%. That mix means Seaside offers something the pricier peninsula towns often do not: a real supply of entry-level detached houses, plus condos, townhomes, and small income properties.

Architecturally, the older core leans toward California ranch and mid-century modern homes, with a scattering of Spanish Colonial. These are the blocks built through the Fort Ord decades. The newer subdivisions on former base land carry contemporary tract and planned-community construction, which appeals to buyers who want lower maintenance and modern systems over vintage character. The trade-off is predictable: older Seaside homes tend to be cheaper going in but may need roof, foundation, plumbing, or electrical attention, while newer construction costs more up front and sometimes carries homeowner association dues. Confirm any HOA obligation in writing before you write an offer, because dues and rules vary by subdivision.

Which neighborhoods make up Seaside?

Seaside is best understood as a set of distinct pockets rather than one uniform market. The older, flatter neighborhoods near Fremont Boulevard and Broadway form the historic commercial and residential core, generally the most affordable entry point in the city. Upper Seaside climbs the hills to the east and south, where elevation buys the bay views that command a premium.

A large share of Seaside’s newer inventory sits on the former Fort Ord, redeveloped after the base closed. Seaside Highlands is one of the approved housing projects built on that land, offering newer detached homes. The area around California State University Monterey Bay, sometimes described as University Village or the East Campus, blends student-adjacent housing with faculty and staff demand. Note a common point of confusion: the large master-planned communities marketed as The Dunes on Monterey Bay and East Garrison, along with the regional retail center anchored by Target, REI, and Best Buy off Imjin Parkway, sit in neighboring Marina, not inside Seaside’s city limits, even though Seaside residents use them constantly. When you shop, verify the exact jurisdiction of any listing, because city lines here affect taxes, schools of assignment, and local ordinances.

What should buyers know about the former Fort Ord land?

A meaningful portion of Seaside’s developable land is former U.S. Army property. Fort Ord opened in the early twentieth century after Monterey County Supervisor Dr. J.L.D. Roberts lobbied to bring the base to the area in 1910, grew into a major West Coast training installation, and closed in 1994 under the federal Base Realignment and Closure process. The state created the Fort Ord Reuse Authority in 1994 to steer civilian redevelopment, and the coastal dunes portion is now Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

For a buyer, the practical implication is environmental due diligence. Former military land nationally, and Fort Ord specifically, has a documented history of remediation involving munitions and groundwater contamination, and there has been reporting on PFAS at the former base. This does not mean any given home is unsafe, and most redeveloped parcels went through cleanup and regulatory sign-off before homes were built. It does mean you should read the disclosures carefully, ask whether a parcel sits within any remediation or land-use-covenant area, and consider an environmental review as part of your inspection contingency. The Knight Group can help you request the right records so you buy with full information rather than assumptions.

What schools serve Seaside?

Seaside is part of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, and the city contains eight of the district’s schools. Campuses within Seaside include Martin Luther King Jr. School, serving kindergarten through eighth grade, and Seaside High School. The International School of Monterey, a public charter serving kindergarten through eighth grade, also operates in the city. The district as a whole serves Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Sand City, Seaside, most of Marina, and part of Del Monte Forest.

Seaside also carries two higher-education anchors, both on former Fort Ord land: California State University Monterey Bay and Monterey College of Law. The university matters to real estate here beyond academics, because it creates steady rental demand from students, faculty, and staff, which is worth weighing if you are considering an income property. As always, confirm the specific school of assignment for any address directly with the district, since attendance boundaries change and do not always follow city lines.

How is the commute from Seaside?

Seaside’s location is one of its strongest arguments. Highway 1 runs along the city’s western edge, putting Monterey about three miles and ten minutes to the south. State Route 68 connects east toward Salinas and the 68 corridor, and Highway 101 is reachable through Salinas for longer regional trips north or south. Salinas, roughly a half hour inland, also holds the nearest Amtrak and Greyhound service.

For a peninsula worker, that means Seaside functions as a commuter base for Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and the hospitality, defense-language, and healthcare employers clustered there, without paying Monterey or Carmel home prices. The trade-off is Highway 1 congestion at peak hours and during summer tourist season, when peninsula traffic backs up. If a short, reliable commute is central to your decision, drive your specific route at the actual time you would travel before you commit.

What is there to do in Seaside?

Seaside pairs bay access with golf and open space. Seaside Beach is the northernmost of the three sections of Monterey State Beach, a quieter stretch of sand than the busier Monterey and Cannery Row waterfront, and a launch point for paragliders and kite flyers. From the beach you can walk the shoreline north below the bluffs toward Sand City. The water supports kayaking, sailing, surfing, and diving across the wider Monterey Bay.

On the golf side, Seaside is home to Bayonet and Black Horse, two championship courses on former Fort Ord high ground. The Bayonet course is a par-72 layout of roughly 7,104 yards, long regarded as one of the sterner tests on the peninsula, while Black Horse runs about 7,024 yards, also par 72, with Pacific views from its higher holes. The complex hosted the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship. Add the adjacent Fort Ord National Monument and Fort Ord Dunes State Park, and Seaside gives residents a large amount of accessible outdoor recreation for a city its size.

Who is Seaside right for?

Seaside fits several buyer profiles. First-time and move-up buyers priced out of Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel find detached homes here that those towns rarely offer at the same number. Remote workers and peninsula commuters get coastal access and a short drive to Monterey. Investors get a genuine mix of condos, small multifamily, and university-driven rental demand.

It is a weaker fit for a buyer who wants the polished, walkable village feel of Carmel-by-the-Sea or the estate character of Pebble Beach, because Seaside is a working coastal city with a wider socioeconomic range and a redevelopment-in-progress texture in parts. Whether that reads as opportunity or as a drawback depends on what you want. The honest framing is that Seaside trades some prestige and uniformity for price and access, and that trade is exactly why many buyers choose it.

What are the risks and trade-offs of buying in Seaside?

Every market has its cautions, and naming them up front protects you. In Seaside, the main ones are the former Fort Ord environmental history covered above, the possibility of homeowner association dues and rules in the newer subdivisions, and the age and condition of the older housing stock, which can carry deferred maintenance. Coastal exposure also means salt air, wind, and moisture that age exterior finishes and roofs faster than inland climates, so budget for upkeep.

On the market side, the recent cooling is a double-edged point. Longer days on market and softer year-over-year value readings mean more negotiating room for a buyer, but they also mean you should not overpay assuming rapid appreciation will bail you out. Statewide, California’s AB 1482 caps most annual rent increases at 5% plus regional inflation, up to a 10% ceiling, which matters if you plan to hold a Seaside property as a long-term rental. None of these is a reason to avoid Seaside. They are reasons to inspect carefully, read disclosures, and price the risk into your offer.

What rules apply to rentals and short-term rentals in Seaside?

If your interest in Seaside includes renting the property, the local rules matter. The City of Seaside runs a Short-Term Rental Program that requires a license to advertise or operate a short-term rental, including a non-hosted license category for non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals, along with building-inspection requirements. Operating without a license violates the city ordinance. Because these programs change, confirm the current terms, fees, and any caps directly with the city before you buy on the assumption that you can run a short-term rental.

For long-term rentals, the statewide AB 1482 rent cap generally applies, limiting annual increases as noted above and adding just-cause eviction protections for qualifying tenancies. The Knight Group can connect you with the current city and state requirements so your rental plan is built on today’s rules rather than yesterday’s.

Frequently asked questions about Seaside real estate

Is Seaside a good place to buy on the Monterey Peninsula?

For buyers who want coastal access and proximity to Monterey without peninsula-peak prices, Seaside is one of the strongest values on the peninsula. It offers detached homes, condos, and small multifamily at prices generally below Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel. The trade-offs are the redevelopment texture in parts of the city and the due diligence required on former Fort Ord parcels.

Why do Seaside home price estimates vary so much between websites?

Different sources measure different things. Zillow publishes a typical-value estimate across all homes, while Redfin and NeighborhoodScout report actual closed-sale medians, which move with whatever mix of homes sold recently. In 2026 those readings ranged from roughly $747,000 to the high $800,000s and higher depending on the source and month. Use them as reference points and ask for a comparable-sales analysis on your specific target.

What is the deal with Fort Ord and Seaside homes?

Fort Ord was a major Army base that closed in 1994, and much of Seaside’s newer development sits on that former land, now overseen for reuse and partly preserved as Fort Ord Dunes State Park and the Fort Ord National Monument. Buyers of former-base parcels should review environmental disclosures and ask about any remediation or land-use covenants as part of their inspection.

Which schools will my children attend in Seaside?

Seaside is served by the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, and eight district schools sit within the city, including Martin Luther King Jr. School and Seaside High School, plus the International School of Monterey charter. California State University Monterey Bay is also located in Seaside. Confirm the exact school of assignment for any address with the district directly.

Can I run a short-term rental in Seaside?

Possibly, but only under the City of Seaside’s Short-Term Rental Program, which requires a license and inspection and prohibits advertising or operating without one. The rules and any caps change over time, so verify the current program terms with the city before buying with a short-term rental plan.

How long are homes taking to sell in Seaside?

The market has cooled. Redfin reported homes taking around 86 days to sell in the recent period, up from roughly 36 days a year earlier. For a buyer, that longer timeline generally means more negotiating leverage and time for due diligence than the peninsula offered at its peak.

Does Seaside have ocean views?

Some of it does. Seaside rises from the shoreline into hills, and higher parcels in Upper Seaside can capture views across Monterey Bay. View orientation and elevation are among the biggest drivers of price differences within the city, so two nearby homes can vary widely in both view and cost.

Are there newer homes in Seaside or only older ones?

Both. The historic core near Fremont Boulevard holds mid-century and California ranch homes, while redevelopment on former Fort Ord land, including projects such as Seaside Highlands, has added newer detached and planned-community housing. The choice comes down to price, maintenance appetite, and whether you want vintage character or modern systems.

How does The Knight Group work in this market?

The Knight Group works Seaside the way the city actually behaves: block by block, with attention to elevation, view exposure, jurisdiction lines, and the specific history of each parcel. For buyers, that means we map your budget against the real trade-offs here, whether that is an older core home that needs work, a newer subdivision house with HOA dues, or an income property near the university. We help you request the right disclosures on former Fort Ord land and read the comparable sales so you do not overpay in a market that has cooled.

For sellers, we price to the current data rather than to last year’s peak, and we position the specific advantages of your block, from bay views to walkability to school assignment. Start by browsing the Seaside listings below, then contact The Knight Group to build a plan grounded in this market as it is today.