Seal Beach: Small Town O.C.

Seal Beach is an Orange County border town, and the first Orange County city south of Los Angeles County. What was once a popular summer vacation spot has over the years become a quaint beach city with an aging population. It is best known for the Leisure World retirement community; the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge and a WWII US naval base.

Seal Beach started out as a seaside getaway and boat landing, Anaheim Landing. In 1915, the city was officially incorporated. The original pier became the site of an early O.C amusement park called the Joy Zone, and for a while, Seal Beach was a popular aquatic Summer vacation destination. During World War II, the US Navy purchased 5,000-acres of Seal Beach and established the Naval Weapons Station, which remains as a naval weapons storage facility and a WWII Submarine Memorial. In 1972, the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge was established was established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to restore and protect some 920-acres of salt marsh from the Alamitos Bay estuary.

Seal Beach is a located at the northwestern border of Orange County. Adjacent and just on the Los Angeles side of the northwestern border, is city of Long Beach. Directly north of Seal Beach is Los Alamitos, and to the east is Westminster. Seal Beach is bordered to the south by Sunset Beach, an unincorporated community that was annexed into neighboring Huntington Beach in 2011.

The enclosed retirement community, Leisure World, is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about residential living in Seal Beach. However, in coastal Seal Beach, there is still the community of Old Town, which has a lovely small town vibe and features cozy beach cottages. Premium waterfront properties -- some with million-dollar price-tags to match -- can be found on the eastern edge of the city, in the gated community known as Surfside.
Median rent: $1,459
Median house or condo value: $271,515

The city of Seal Beach is served by Los Alamitos School District. While most of the schools report average student performance, two were recently recognized for high student achievement; including Gold Medal Award winner McAuliffe Middle School, and California Distinguished Jack Weaver Elementary. However, the football tradition runs deep at Los Alamitos High School, where several of players have recently landed on NFL rosters.

Main Street is the shopping, dining and entertainment center of Seal Beach, as well as its historical center. In addition to boutique shopping and local eateries, there are also art galleries and the Red Car Historical Museum can be found on Main Street. For a more active night life however, Seal Beach's proximity to Long Beach provide plenty of options for young singles. Just the other side of the LA/OC border is the Marina Pacifica area where consumer pursuits and gluttonous eating abound. Beyond the marina is the hip Belmont Shore area with lots of boutique shops, popular restaurants and bars ranging from low-key local to down right rowdy.

Population: 24,238
Median Age: 58
Median Income: $48,224