Places › California › Newport Beach

Living in Newport Beach, CA

Suburb in California

Newport Beach is a suburb in California, home to about 84,000 people, with 5.7 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Newport Beach a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 18 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 71°F
  • Big job market: about 5.7 million people live within 31 mi
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $3.14M, and rent is $4,390 a month
  • Few dog parks: 17 within 9 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Newport Beach ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
84,000
5.7 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
64°F / 71°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$3.14M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$4,390/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
114
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.5% property tax
Safety
0.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
18
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
70%
4 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SNA
6 mi away

Living in Newport Beach: common questions

What is the cost of living in Newport Beach?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $3.14M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,390 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 114, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Newport Beach?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.5% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Newport Beach safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Newport Beach?

Newport Beach is warm all year: winter days average around 64°F and summer days around 71°F.

Does Newport Beach get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.71 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Newport Beach?

The nearest major airport is SNA, about 6 mi away.

How Newport Beach scores

Each bar compares Newport Beach with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Major metro Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Warm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Poor
💸Low taxes Average
💼Job market Excellent
🏥Healthcare Excellent
🎓Education Excellent
🧸Kids & family Average
🐕Dog-friendly Below average
⛰️Outdoors Excellent
🎭Culture Excellent
🛡️Safety Very safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Good
☀️Sunny Excellent
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Excellent

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Is Newport Beach right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.