Cost of living in Seal Beach research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Seal Beach is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Seal Beach is 142, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Seal Beach is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Seal Beach ranks as the #260 cheapest in California out of 634.
Seal Beach ranks as the #5,468 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Seal Beach is $807,584.
The median income in Seal Beach is $83,045.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Seal Beach has an overall cost of living index of 142, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Seal Beach has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Seal Beach ranks as #260 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Seal Beach ranks as the #374 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Seal Beach, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Seal Beach. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Seal Beach is 114.
The Groceries index in Seal Beach is 111.
The Health index in Seal Beach is 100.
The Housing index in Seal Beach is 224.
The Transportation index in Seal Beach is 126.
The Utilities index in Seal Beach is 95.
| Living Expense | Seal Beach | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 142 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 100 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 224 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Seal Beach is $807,584.
The Median Rent in Seal Beach is $2,419.
The Median Income in Seal Beach is $83,045.
The Home Value To Income in Seal Beach is 9.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Seal Beach is 0.35x.
| Statistic | Seal Beach | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $807,584 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,419 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $83,045 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.35x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Seal Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Seal Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Seal Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Seal Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Seal Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Seal Beach. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Long Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 158, 1.1x Seal Beach.
Huntington Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 189, 1.3x Seal Beach.
Westminster, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 1.2x Seal Beach.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Seal Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach, CA | 458,491 | 158 | 1.1x |
| Huntington Beach, CA | 196,010 | 189 | 1.3x |
| Westminster, CA | 90,147 | 164 | 1.2x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.2x |
| Yorba Linda, CA | 67,407 | 200 | 1.4x |
| Placentia, CA | 52,384 | 169 | 1.2x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.2x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.1x |
| Stanton, CA | 38,639 | 142 | 1.0x |
| North Tustin, CA | 26,038 | 204 | 1.4x |