Huntington Beach market
Huntington Beach is not one market. It is a dozen micro-markets stacked along eight miles of coast, from walkable condos near the pier to inland single-family streets, master-planned bluff-top communities, and the deep-water homes of Huntington Harbour. What a home is worth here depends far more on which block it sits on than on its square footage, and a citywide average tells you almost nothing about your street.
Ratowsky Group at Compass is the resident specialist team. Craig Ratowsky has sold Huntington Beach since 1977, and together with Justin, a third-generation California Realtor® who grew up here, the team has sold 900+ homes and hundreds of millions in real estate across 58 years of combined experience. About half of that business is right here in Huntington Beach. This page is the plain-English read on how the market is structured and what actually moves price.
Price tiers
Condos & attached homes
High six figures to ~$1.5M
Near the pier, downtown, and inland. Walkability, parking, and HOA dues drive the spread.
Inland single-family
~$1.2M to $2.5M
Old Town, South Huntington Beach, and North Huntington Beach. Lot, condition, and proximity to the sand matter most.
Bluff-top & master-planned
~$2M to $5M+
Seacliff, Brightwater, and Edwards Hill. Newer construction, gates, views, and HOA / Mello-Roos vary by tract.
Waterfront & oceanfront
~$2.5M into the millions
Huntington Harbour dock homes and oceanfront, with recent sales up to a $6.65M oceanfront estate.
These are general, qualitative ranges to orient you, not a valuation. Prices move by neighborhood, condition, and demand. For a real number on your specific home, ask Craig and Justin for a current comparable-based review. We are not appraisers; this is a market opinion of value.
Market snapshot
Median sale price
$1,350,000
Closed, last 6 months
Median days on market
12
List to close, sold
Active listings
296
Currently on market
Median price / sq ft
$804
Closed sales
Homes sold (6 mo)
737
Closed, trailing 6 months
Sale-to-list ratio
100.0%
Median close vs list
Months of supply
2 mo
Inventory vs absorption
Median list price
$1,539,444
Active inventory
Live Huntington Beach statistics from the California Regional MLS (CRMLS) via CoreLogic Trestle, refreshed automatically and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. For a precise, address-level read, ask Craig and Justin.
What moves price here
Proximity to the ocean and to downtown is the single biggest lever on price in Huntington Beach. A few blocks can change the buyer pool entirely.
On the water, the dock permit, slip size, water depth, and channel position drive value more than the house. An automated estimate cannot see any of it.
Master-planned communities like Brightwater and Seacliff carry dues and special taxes that change the monthly math. No-HOA pockets in Old Town and Bolsa Landmark price differently.
Lot size, which way the home faces, and how move-in-ready it is often matter more than raw square footage, especially downtown where orientation beats size.
Where we work
Why local expertise matters
Local knowledge here is lived, not inferred from a portal. Justin grew up moving around Huntington Beach: North Huntington Beach near the Bolsa Chica wetlands, Central Park, Hope View, and Marine View, South Huntington Beach in the Moffett Tract, Huntington Harbour, Sunset Beach on PCH, Downtown, and Old Town, where he and his wife bought their first home in 2022.
Craig has farmed these neighborhoods since the 1970s and has read the market through five distinct cycles. That first-hand history is what protects a client: knowing the soils and flood zones, the seawall and dock questions on the water, the golf-course and HOA disclosures inland, and which questions to ask before they become problems.
Huntington Beach clients, in their words
“I'm writing this review from my comfy couch in my amazing new home thinking about how I wouldn't even be here without Craig and Justin Ratowsky. They coached us through the offer process and eventually the stressful counter offers and final offers. They truly have the hearts of teachers and wanted us to feel comfortable and confident in all the micro decisions that need to be made in the buying process. It's been almost 6 months now and I just got another follow up. There's nothing in it for them anymore, the deal is long done, but they seriously care about us.”
Aaron Potter
First-time buyer, Old Town Orange
“Craig was recommended to me by a good friend. I was living in Sherman Oaks and he drove up there to see my house and what I was looking for in a home. This home came on the market and Craig and I went to the open house which had so many people there. I wanted that house and Craig used all of his experience and skills to negotiate with the sellers. There were seven offers and I ended up getting the home and still living here today.”
Michelle Munz
Buyer, multiple-offer win
“The Ratowsky Group at Compass has unsurpassed excellence in knowledge, expertise and work ethic, whether you're buying or selling a house. Craig & Justin have been the only realtors we have used for 35+ years. We've also recommended them to friends & family who have gone to them for their real estate needs and been very pleased. They are simply the best!”
Brenda Ellis
Buyer & seller, client 35+ years
Huntington Beach questions, answered
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Thinking about a move?
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Ratowsky Group at Compass. Craig Ratowsky DRE #00608046, Justin Ratowsky DRE #02026158. Price ranges are general market context, not a valuation or a guarantee of future results.
