Where is Orange located within Orange County?

Orange sits in northern Orange County, roughly 3 miles north of Santa Ana. The city covers 25.82 square miles and reported a population of 139,911 in the 2020 census. That puts it among the larger cities in the county by land area while keeping a lower profile than coastal names like Newport Beach or Irvine. Position is the practical advantage here. Orange is central to the county's job centers rather than tucked at one edge, which shortens commutes in several directions at once. The city touches Anaheim to the north, Santa Ana to the south and west, and the foothills to the east, so you can move between an entry-level neighborhood and a hillside one without leaving the same school district.

How do you get around, and what is the "Orange Crush"?

Freeway access defines commuting in Orange. Interstate 5 runs through the city, along with State Route 57 (the Orange Freeway), State Route 22 (the Garden Grove Freeway), and State Route 55 (the Costa Mesa Freeway). The junction where the 5, the 57, and the 22 meet is known as the "Orange Crush" and is one of the busiest interchanges in Orange County. That density of freeways is a genuine benefit and a genuine cost. From most Orange neighborhoods you can reach Downtown Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, or the 91 corridor quickly. The flip side is traffic noise and congestion near the Orange Crush, and it is worth checking how close a specific home sits to the 5, the 57, or the 55 before you commit. Homes deeper into Old Towne or the eastern hills trade a longer drive to the on-ramp for a quieter street.

What is Old Towne Orange and why does it matter?

Old Towne is the reason serious buyers look at this city. The district measures roughly one square mile, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and is the largest National Register district in California. Orange holds the second largest concentration of historic buildings of any city in the state. The architecture inside the district spans Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Mediterranean Revival. At the center is the Plaza, a traffic circle and fountain that anchors the surrounding grid of shops, restaurants, and the antiques district. This is one of the few places in Orange County where you can own an original early-twentieth-century home and walk to a commercial core rather than drive to a mall. The historic status is also a rulebook. Homes inside the district carry preservation expectations, and exterior changes can require review. That protects your neighbors' facades and yours, but it means a renovation is not a blank check. If you are buying in Old Towne to remodel, budget for the process, not just the materials.

What kinds of homes and neighborhoods does Orange have?

Orange splits roughly into two housing stories. The first is Old Towne and the older grid around it: Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Mediterranean Revival homes on smaller, walkable lots, many predating 1930. These are character purchases, and condition varies widely because the housing is a century old. The second story is everything built east and north of the historic core: postwar ranch neighborhoods, later tract housing, and hillside and master-planned pockets closer to the foothills. These homes give you newer systems, larger lots in some tracts, and hillside views, without the historic-district review process. The trade-off is a longer drive to the Plaza and less of the walkable, pre-war texture that draws people to Old Towne in the first place. Because the two markets behave differently on price and condition, it pays to decide which one you are actually shopping before you tour. The Knight Group can pull comparable sales for the specific pocket you are considering rather than a citywide average that blends both.

What is the market character and price tier in Orange?

Orange is a move-up and character-driven market rather than an ultra-luxury coastal one. Prices are supported by scarcity in Old Towne, by proximity to jobs and Chapman University, and by strong ongoing demand for a walkable historic core that the rest of the county cannot replicate. Original historic homes near the Plaza tend to command a premium over comparable square footage in the newer eastern tracts. We are not going to quote a median figure here, because a single number blends a one-bedroom bungalow, a hillside five-bedroom, and a condo into a misleading average. If you want current pricing for a specific neighborhood or home type, ask The Knight Group for a focused comparable-sales pull. That is a more honest read than a citywide median.

What is Chapman University's role in the city?

Chapman University sits inside Old Towne and is one of the city's largest employers, listed among the top ten with roughly 1,300 employees. Its campus is woven into the historic grid rather than set apart on a suburban parcel, which shapes the surrounding blocks. For buyers, Chapman means two things. It sustains steady rental demand near the core, which matters if you are considering an income property or a home you might rent later. It also brings student foot traffic and parking pressure to the closest streets. If quiet is the priority, look a few blocks out from campus; if rental yield is the priority, proximity to Chapman is a feature.

What are the schools like in Orange?

Most of the city is served by Orange Unified School District , which enrolls approximately 28,000 students across several cities. Because the district reaches beyond Orange's borders, school assignment depends on the specific address, not on the city name. That is the single most important thing to verify before you buy for schools. Two homes a mile apart in Orange can feed different schools, and boundary lines move. The Knight Group can confirm the current assigned schools for any address you are serious about, so you are not relying on a listing's summary or a dated ranking.

What shopping, dining, and amenities does Orange offer?

The city runs two very different retail experiences. Old Towne's Plaza district is the walkable one: an antiques district, independent restaurants, and small storefronts inside the historic grid. It is a destination in its own right and a reason people drive into Orange on weekends. On the other end is The Outlets at Orange, an outdoor shopping center that includes a skatepark and a bowling center along with national retailers. Between the two, residents get both a character-driven main street and large-format shopping without leaving the city. St. Joseph Hospital, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph and employing roughly 3,500 people, along with nearby medical centers, also makes Orange a health-care hub, which supports both jobs and services close to home.

Who are the major employers near Orange?

Orange sits at the center of one of the county's densest medical employment clusters. UC Irvine Medical Center, located in the city, employs roughly 4,995 people. Children's Hospital of Orange County employs about 3,938, and St. Joseph Hospital about 3,500. Chapman University adds roughly 1,300. For a buyer, that concentration is a stability signal. A city anchored by hospitals and a university has a broad, recession-resistant employment base and a built-in pool of renters and move-up buyers. If you work in health care or education, Orange may put you within a short commute of your job, which is worth weighing against price when you compare it to farther-out options.

Is Orange a good market for a rental or investment property?

Orange has a clearer investment case than most of the county, and it comes down to two anchors. Chapman University, with roughly 1,300 employees and a student body inside Old Towne, produces steady demand for rentals near the core. The medical cluster around UC Irvine Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and St. Joseph Hospital adds a second, non-student pool of professional renters who want a short commute to work. That combination gives you two distinct rental strategies in one city. A home or unit near Chapman leans toward student and staff tenants and higher turnover. A property near the hospitals or with easy freeway access leans toward longer-term professional tenants. Neither is automatically better; they carry different management effort and different vacancy patterns. What they share is a demand base that does not depend on a single employer or a single freeway, which is the kind of diversification that holds up when one sector softens. If you are buying to rent, tell The Knight Group which tenant profile you want and we will point you at the neighborhoods that actually serve it.

What is day-to-day life like in Orange?

The texture of Orange depends on where you land. Near the Plaza, life is walkable in a way that is rare for the county: the antiques district, independent restaurants, and small storefronts are a short walk from the surrounding homes, and Chapman keeps the core active. It draws weekend visitors, so the closest blocks trade quiet for foot traffic. Move east and north and the pace changes to a more standard suburban rhythm, with hillside streets, newer housing, and larger-format shopping at The Outlets at Orange, which includes a skatepark and a bowling center. The climate is typical inland Southern California: hot summers, with a record high of 113 degrees in June 2016, and light rainfall averaging about 13.84 inches a year, mostly between November and April. For a buyer, the practical question is how much walkable core you want versus how much space and how new a house, because Orange genuinely offers both and they sit only a few miles apart.

What history gives Orange its identity?

The city was originally called Richland. It was renamed Orange in 1873 after the post office rejected the Richland application because another Richland already existed in Sacramento County. Orange incorporated on April 6, 1888. That early founding is why the historic core exists at all. The city was laid out and largely built before the automobile reshaped Southern California, which is how it kept a compact, walkable grid and the dense stock of pre-1930 architecture that the National Register recognized in 1997. When you buy an original home here, you are buying into a settlement pattern that most of Orange County paved over decades ago.

What risks or trade-offs should an Orange buyer weigh?

Every strong market has costs, and Orange's are specific. First, the historic overlay: homes in Old Towne carry preservation rules that can constrain exterior renovation, so factor review timelines and requirements into any remodel plan. Second, age of housing: a century-old bungalow can carry older plumbing, wiring, and foundations, which makes the inspection more important, not less. Third, freeway proximity and the Orange Crush: the same access that shortens commutes brings noise and congestion near the interchanges, so check a home's distance from the 5, 57, 55, and 22. Fourth, climate: the area sees hot summers, with a record high of 113 degrees recorded in June 2016, and modest rainfall averaging about 13.84 inches a year, concentrated November through April. As with any Southern California foothill-adjacent city, confirm the fire hazard designation and insurance availability for a specific address before you remove contingencies. The Knight Group will flag these on a home-by-home basis rather than in the abstract.

Is Old Towne Orange a good place to buy a home?

It is, if you want original historic architecture and a walkable core, and if you accept the trade-offs. Old Towne is the largest National Register district in California and offers Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Mediterranean Revival homes near the Plaza. In exchange you take on preservation rules and older building systems. It suits a buyer who values character and location over a turnkey, low-maintenance house.

How big is the City of Orange and how many people live there?

The city covers 25.82 square miles and reported a population of 139,911 in the 2020 census. It sits in northern Orange County, about 3 miles north of Santa Ana.

What school district serves Orange?

Most of the city is served by Orange Unified School District, which enrolls roughly 28,000 students across several cities. Because the district extends beyond Orange itself, the assigned schools depend on the exact address. Confirm current assignments before buying for schools.

How is the commute from Orange?

Orange has unusually direct freeway access, with Interstate 5, State Route 57, State Route 55, and State Route 22 all serving the city. The 5/57/22 junction, the "Orange Crush," is one of the busiest interchanges in the county. Access is a strength; proximity to the interchange also means traffic and noise, so location within the city matters.

Does Orange have new construction, or is it all historic homes?

Both. The historic homes concentrate in and around Old Towne, while newer postwar tracts, hillside neighborhoods, and master-planned pockets sit east and north of the core. If you want newer systems and larger lots without historic-district review, look outside Old Towne.

Is Orange a safe employment base to buy into?

The city is anchored by large, stable employers, including UC Irvine Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Orange County, St. Joseph Hospital, and Chapman University. That health-care and education base supports steady housing demand and gives the market a broad foundation.

Should I worry about wildfire or insurance in Orange?

It depends entirely on the address, particularly for homes closer to the eastern foothills. California fire hazard designations and insurance availability vary block by block, so verify both for any specific home before removing contingencies. The Knight Group checks this per property rather than assuming a citywide answer.

Why do historic homes in Orange cost more than newer ones nearby?

Scarcity. Old Towne is the largest National Register district in the state and Orange holds the second largest concentration of historic buildings in California. That supply cannot be replicated, and demand for a walkable historic core keeps pricing on original homes firm relative to comparable square footage in the newer eastern tracts.

How does The Knight Group work in the Orange market?

We treat Orange as two markets, not one, and we price and advise accordingly. For an Old Towne purchase, that means walking you through the historic overlay, ordering a thorough inspection on century-old systems, and pulling comparable sales from the specific blocks near the Plaza rather than a citywide average. For a home in the newer eastern neighborhoods, it means focusing on lot, condition, school assignment, and hillside fire and insurance factors. Our job is to name the trade-offs before you make an offer, not after. If you are weighing Orange against another Orange County city, or deciding between the historic core and a newer tract inside it, browse the current listings below and then contact The Knight Group. We will give you a focused read on the neighborhoods and homes you are actually considering.

What are Orange CA Homes like to buy?

Orange CA Homes split between original Craftsman and Spanish Colonial properties near the Plaza and newer houses in quieter hillside pockets. Old Towne sits at the center of the city, a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Mediterranean Revival architecture fill the grid surrounding the Plaza. Smaller walkable lots define the older grid, where much of the housing stock predates the modern tract era. Condition varies widely across historic properties, so inspections matter more here than in newer parts of the city. Exterior changes inside the historic district are subject to preservation review, which shapes how a remodel gets planned and budgeted. Postwar ranch homes, later tract housing, and hillside neighborhoods sit east and north of the historic core. Hillside pockets offer newer systems and no historic review process for buyers who want fewer renovation restrictions. The Orange Crush interchange, where three freeways meet, ranks among the busiest junctions in Orange County. Traffic noise and congestion near the Orange Crush make a specific home's distance from the freeways worth checking. Orange sits in northern Orange County, north of Santa Ana, touching Anaheim to the north and the foothills to the east. The Plaza is a traffic circle and fountain anchoring a grid of shops, restaurants, and the antiques district. Orange CA Homes let a buyer own an early-twentieth-century house

What is daily life like around Orange CA Homes?

Orange Unified School District serves most of the city and reaches beyond the city borders into neighboring communities. School assignment depends on the specific address rather than the city name, making verification essential before buying for schools. Homes a short distance apart within Orange can feed different schools, and boundary lines shift over time. The Knight Group confirms current assigned schools for any address a buyer is seriously considering. Old Towne's Plaza district delivers the walkable retail experience, with an antiques district, independent restaurants, and small storefronts. The Outlets at Orange offers outdoor shopping with national retailers, a skatepark, and a bowling center. Orange CA Homes give residents both a character-driven main street and large-format shopping without leaving the city. St. Joseph Hospital, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, helps make the city a health-care hub. UC Irvine Medical Center sits inside the city and anchors one of the county's densest medical employment clusters. Children's Hospital of Orange County and Chapman University add to the stable employment base surrounding Orange CA Homes. Health-care and education anchors give the city a broad, recession-resistant employment base and a built-in pool of renters. Chapman University and its student body inside Old Towne produce steady rental demand near the historic core. Rental strategies divide between student and staff tenants near Chapman and longer-term professional t

What should buyers know before purchasing Orange CA Homes?

Old Towne suits buyers who want original historic architecture and a walkable core and accept preservation rules and older building systems. Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victorian, and Mediterranean Revival homes cluster near the Plaza inside the historic district. Orange CA Homes in the historic core favor a buyer who values character and location over a turnkey, low-maintenance house. Orange sits in northern Orange County, just north of Santa Ana, within the larger Orange County market. Orange Unified School District serves most of the city and extends past city limits, so assigned schools depend on the exact address. The Orange Crush junction ranks among the busiest interchanges in the county, so location within the city affects traffic and noise. Orange CA Homes include both historic properties and newer postwar tracts, hillside neighborhoods, and master-planned pockets. Buyers wanting newer systems and larger lots without historic-district review should look outside the Old Towne boundaries. UC Irvine Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Orange County, St. Joseph Hospital, and Chapman University anchor the local economy. Wildfire hazard and insurance availability depend entirely on the address, particularly for properties closer to the eastern foothills. California fire hazard designations vary block by block, so verification belongs in the contingency period for any specific home. Scarcity explains why historic properties command more than comparable newer hou

Orange Homes for Sale

Old Towne, New Development

Browse all Orange County real estate.

Our extensive guide through the neighborhoods below will help you identify the one for you.

LG26161709

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100 Rockledge RD

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1 Strand Beach Dr

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2 Coral

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NP26116962

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55 Strand Beach DR

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LG26172791

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18 Waves End

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NP26172783

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0.41

20 Harbor IS

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NP26093046

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1220 W Bay AV

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26871709

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0.48

18 Swimmers Point

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OC26022126

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24331 Coto de Caza DR

Coto de Caza CA 92679

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NP26112665

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0.43

39 Tide Watch

Newport Coast CA 92657

Listed by Berkshire Hathaway HomeService CRMLS logo

NP26189418

$49,995,000

11,765

0.48

3 Del Mar

Newport Coast CA 92657

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OC26146771

$44,998,000

10,700

0.46

7 Sailview

Newport Coast CA 92657

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OC26114878

$44,950,000

11,165

0.73

177 Shorecliff RD

Corona del Mar CA 92625

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NP26029243

$43,000,000

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4130 Calle Isabella

San Clemente CA 92672

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CV26163737

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14,372

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23 Pelican Vista

Newport Coast CA 92657

Listed by KELLER WILLIAMS EMPIRE ESTATES CRMLS logo

OC26121036

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2928 Ocean

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LG25231857

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32181 Coast HY

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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OC26167805

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18 Sail Vista

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NP25103644

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12 Skyridge

Newport Coast CA 92657

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NP26159036

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0.39

9 Sailcrest

Newport Coast CA 92657

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OC26082492

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0.38

1 Shell Beach

Newport Coast CA 92657

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LG25281782

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7,078

0.32

199 Emerald Bay

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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OC26133766

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4,838

0.24

2595 Altamar

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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LG26086482

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0.36

159 EMERALD BAY

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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NP26116299

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13,046

0.87

76 Golden Eagle

Irvine CA 92603

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OC26196493

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9,219

0.43

5 Sailview

Newport Coast CA 92657

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OC26092935

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3,829

0.28

1901 Ocean Way

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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NP26153365

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3,553

1.41

183 Carnation AV

Corona del Mar CA 92625

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OC26069200

$29,999,000

5,471

0.16

86 Emerald Bay

Laguna Beach CA 92651

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NP24159762

$29,995,000

4,061

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111 S La Senda DR

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

LG26135878

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6,906

0.32

15 Montage WY

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Listed by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties CRMLS logo

OC26192703

$28,000,000

8,095

0.27

4521 Fairfield DR

Corona del Mar CA 92625

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

NP26015959

$27,950,000

7,609

0.11

1504 W Oceanfront #5

Newport Beach CA 92663

Listed by Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty CRMLS logo

NP25246018

$27,950,000

5,994

0.4

2460 Monaco DR

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

NP26118942

$27,800,000

9,845

0.55

1 Rim Ridge

Newport Coast CA 92657

Listed by ABCO Realty and Investment CRMLS logo

OC26173219

$26,995,000

7,724

0.25

4521 Orrington

Newport Beach CA 92625

Listed by Luxe Real Estate CRMLS logo

NP26137970

$26,995,000

7,735

0.29

1201 Dolphin TE

Corona del Mar CA 92625

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

NP25262723

$26,995,000

5,072

0.21

33 Bay DR

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

NP26190102

$25,950,000

3,821

0.2

1114 E Balboa BL

Newport Beach CA 92661

Listed by Pacific Sotheby's Int'l Realty CRMLS logo

OC26173148

$25,900,000

8,237

0.22

11 Beach View Ave

Dana Point CA 92629

Listed by Plus Real Estate CRMLS logo

OC26093621

$25,000,000

6,738

0.2

18 Lagunita Drive

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

OC25266223

$24,995,000

6,419

0.25

25 Bay

Laguna Beach CA 92651

Listed by Luxe Real Estate CRMLS logo

NP26147797

$24,995,000

5,453

0.17

1324 E Balboa BL

Newport Beach CA 92661

Listed by Coldwell Banker Realty CRMLS logo

OC25276067

$24,980,000

8,054

0.37

9 Sea Shell

Newport Coast CA 92657

Listed by Pacific Sterling Realty CRMLS logo

The data relating to real estate for sale on this site comes from the Broker Reciprocity (BR) of the California Regional Multiple Listing Service. All properties are subject to prior sale, changes, or withdrawal.
This site was last updated Sep 26 2026 2:22:43 am.

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Orange CA Homes for Sale: Old Towne Character and Hillside Options

Orange CA Homes for Sale currently number 233 active listings with a median asking price of $12,700,000 (CRMLS, September 2026). The median lot in Orange measures 11,100 sq ft.

What is the Orange market like right now?

Orange is tracked as a distinct sub-market of Orange County, and its figures diverge from the parent average. The measurements below come from CRMLS listing data as of September 2026.

Active listings: 233 in Orange, priced at a median of $12,700,000 as of September 2026.
Median asking price per square foot in Orange: $2,809.
Median list price across 13 tracked Orange properties: $799,999.
Median lot size in Orange: 11,100 sq ft.
Median living area in Orange: 1,302 sq ft.
Median days on market in Orange: 26.
Housing stock in Orange was built between 1958 and 2009, with a median year of 1965.
Typical Orange home height: 2 stories.

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Orange Homes for Sale

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