2026 Top Cities by Overall Score in Orange County

2026 Top Cities by Overall Score in:

San FranciscoPeninsulaSilicon ValleyEast BayMarinAlamedaContra CostaSanta Clara

Overall Score

Overall Score

School

School

Safety

Safety

Amenities

Amenities

Price

Price

Value

Value

Appreciation

Appreciation

Houseberry’s list of the best neighborhoods overall in Orange, where we've considered data on schools, safety

Rossmoor and Yorba Linda share the highest overall score among 25 ranked cities in Orange County, at 4.7 out of 5. 2 cities in Orange County score 4 out of 5 or higher overall.

1st
Map placeholder for Rossmoor - not a photo of the city
Rossmoor
Overall Score : 4.7/5

School : 5.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

1st
Map placeholder for Rossmoor - not a photo of the city

Rossmoor

Overall Score : 4.7/5

School : 5.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Rossmoor

2nd
Map placeholder for Yorba Linda - not a photo of the city
Yorba Linda
Overall Score : 4.7/5

School : 5.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

2nd
Map placeholder for Yorba Linda - not a photo of the city

Yorba Linda

Overall Score : 4.7/5

School : 5.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Yorba Linda

3rd
Map placeholder for Huntington Beach - not a photo of the city
Huntington Beach
Overall Score : 3.1/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.6/5

Amenities : 2.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

3rd
Map placeholder for Huntington Beach - not a photo of the city

Huntington Beach

Overall Score : 3.1/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.6/5

Amenities : 2.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Huntington Beach

4th
Map placeholder for Los Alamitos - not a photo of the city
Los Alamitos
Overall Score : 2.9/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.4/5

Amenities : 2.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

4th
Map placeholder for Los Alamitos - not a photo of the city

Los Alamitos

Overall Score : 2.9/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.4/5

Amenities : 2.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Los Alamitos

5th
Map placeholder for Santa Ana - not a photo of the city
Santa Ana
Overall Score : 2.9/5

School : 2.8/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 3.0/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

5th
Map placeholder for Santa Ana - not a photo of the city

Santa Ana

Overall Score : 2.9/5

School : 2.8/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 3.0/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Santa Ana

6th
Map placeholder for Ladera Ranch - not a photo of the city
Ladera Ranch
Overall Score : 2.8/5

School : 3.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.2/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

6th
Map placeholder for Ladera Ranch - not a photo of the city

Ladera Ranch

Overall Score : 2.8/5

School : 3.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.2/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Ladera Ranch

7th
Map placeholder for Rancho Santa Margarita - not a photo of the city
Rancho Santa Margarita
Overall Score : 2.8/5

School : 3.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

7th
Map placeholder for Rancho Santa Margarita - not a photo of the city

Rancho Santa Margarita

Overall Score : 2.8/5

School : 3.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Rancho Santa Margarita

8th
Map placeholder for Irvine - not a photo of the city
Irvine
Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.7/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 1.4/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

8th
Map placeholder for Irvine - not a photo of the city

Irvine

Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.7/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 1.4/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Irvine

9th
Map placeholder for Laguna Beach - not a photo of the city
Laguna Beach
Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.8/5

Safety : 0.1/5

Amenities : 1.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

9th
Map placeholder for Laguna Beach - not a photo of the city

Laguna Beach

Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.8/5

Safety : 0.1/5

Amenities : 1.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Laguna Beach

10th
Map placeholder for Laguna Niguel - not a photo of the city
Laguna Niguel
Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 1.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

10th
Map placeholder for Laguna Niguel - not a photo of the city

Laguna Niguel

Overall Score : 2.7/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.3/5

Amenities : 1.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Laguna Niguel

11th
Map placeholder for Corona del Mar - not a photo of the city
Corona del Mar
Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 2.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

11th
Map placeholder for Corona del Mar - not a photo of the city

Corona del Mar

Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 2.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Corona del Mar

12th
Map placeholder for Costa Mesa - not a photo of the city
Costa Mesa
Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : 0.5/5

Amenities : 2.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

12th
Map placeholder for Costa Mesa - not a photo of the city

Costa Mesa

Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : 0.5/5

Amenities : 2.7/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Costa Mesa

13th
Map placeholder for Seal Beach - not a photo of the city
Seal Beach
Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.6/5

Amenities : 1.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

13th
Map placeholder for Seal Beach - not a photo of the city

Seal Beach

Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.6/5

Safety : 0.6/5

Amenities : 1.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Seal Beach

14th
Map placeholder for Newport Coast - not a photo of the city
Newport Coast
Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.0/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

14th
Map placeholder for Newport Coast - not a photo of the city

Newport Coast

Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.0/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Newport Coast

15th
Map placeholder for San Clemente - not a photo of the city
San Clemente
Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : 0.7/5

Amenities : 1.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

15th
Map placeholder for San Clemente - not a photo of the city

San Clemente

Overall Score : 2.6/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : 0.7/5

Amenities : 1.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About San Clemente

16th
Map placeholder for Newport Beach - not a photo of the city
Newport Beach
Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 2.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

16th
Map placeholder for Newport Beach - not a photo of the city

Newport Beach

Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 2.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Newport Beach

17th
Map placeholder for Anaheim - not a photo of the city
Anaheim
Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 2.4/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

17th
Map placeholder for Anaheim - not a photo of the city

Anaheim

Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 2.4/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Anaheim

18th
Map placeholder for San Juan Capistrano - not a photo of the city
San Juan Capistrano
Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 1.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

18th
Map placeholder for San Juan Capistrano - not a photo of the city

San Juan Capistrano

Overall Score : 2.5/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 1.3/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About San Juan Capistrano

19th
Map placeholder for Lake Forest - not a photo of the city
Lake Forest
Overall Score : 2.3/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

19th
Map placeholder for Lake Forest - not a photo of the city

Lake Forest

Overall Score : 2.3/5

School : 2.4/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Lake Forest

20th
Map placeholder for Mission Viejo - not a photo of the city
Mission Viejo
Overall Score : 2.3/5

School : 2.2/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 1.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

20th
Map placeholder for Mission Viejo - not a photo of the city

Mission Viejo

Overall Score : 2.3/5

School : 2.2/5

Safety : 0.2/5

Amenities : 1.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Mission Viejo

21st
Map placeholder for Orange - not a photo of the city
Orange
Overall Score : 1.9/5

School : 2.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

21st
Map placeholder for Orange - not a photo of the city

Orange

Overall Score : 1.9/5

School : 2.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.5/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

Orange neighborhoods ranked

22nd
Map placeholder for Foothill Ranch - not a photo of the city
Foothill Ranch
Overall Score : 1.5/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

22nd
Map placeholder for Foothill Ranch - not a photo of the city

Foothill Ranch

Overall Score : 1.5/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 1.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Foothill Ranch

23rd
Map placeholder for Trabuco Canyon - not a photo of the city
Trabuco Canyon
Overall Score : 1.4/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

23rd
Map placeholder for Trabuco Canyon - not a photo of the city

Trabuco Canyon

Overall Score : 1.4/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.8/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Trabuco Canyon

24th
Map placeholder for Las Flores - not a photo of the city
Las Flores
Overall Score : 1.4/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

24th
Map placeholder for Las Flores - not a photo of the city

Las Flores

Overall Score : 1.4/5

School : 1.5/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.6/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $0

About Las Flores

25th
Map placeholder for Coto de Caza - not a photo of the city
Coto de Caza
Overall Score : 0.9/5

School : 1.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $1 Overvalued

25th
Map placeholder for Coto de Caza - not a photo of the city

Coto de Caza

Overall Score : 0.9/5

School : 1.0/5

Safety : -/5

Amenities : 0.1/5

Price : -

Appreciation : -

Value: $1 Overvalued

About Coto de Caza

Scores updated October 2026

Orange County cities: your questions, answered

What are the best cities to live in Orange County?

Rossmoor and Yorba Linda tie for the top overall score in Orange County, at 4.7 out of 5, followed by Huntington Beach (3.1 out of 5), out of 25 ranked.

How many cities in Orange County score 4 out of 5 or higher overall?

Of the 25 cities in Orange County with an overall score, 2 score 4 out of 5 or higher overall. The highest are Rossmoor (4.7 out of 5) and Yorba Linda (4.7 out of 5).

Which city in Orange County has the highest school score?

Rossmoor and Yorba Linda share the highest school score of the ranked cities in Orange County, at 5.0 out of 5.

Which city in Orange County has the highest safety score?

San Clemente has the highest safety score of the ranked cities in Orange County, at 0.7 out of 5.

More rankings in Orange County

Nearby counties

Riverside County · Los Angeles County · San Bernardino County · San Diego County · Ventura County