Every month I pull every home with an ADU for sale in about a dozen Orange County and LA County cities. After eight months of those reports, the same handful of cities keep showing up as the places where buying a house and adding an ADU actually makes financial sense.
This ranking is built from my September and October 2026 market reports. Every price and rent below comes from real listings, escrows and closed sales, not averages from a national website.
How I ranked them
Each city was judged on four things:
- Entry price. What it costs to get a house with a buildable lot or an existing ADU.
- ADU rent. What ADUs are actually renting for on current listings.
- Comp depth. How many ADU sales an appraiser has to work with. Thin comps mean lower appraisals and harder financing.
- City friendliness. How workable the city’s ADU and SB9 rules are in practice.
Rates matter for all of them. The 30-year fixed hit 7.28% on October 1 per Freddie Mac, and this fall buyers have more negotiating room than they’ve had in years.
The rankings at a glance
| Rank | City | Entry point (fall 2026) | ADU rents seen | Market read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Grove | Closed $1.02M to $1.2M | $2,350 to $3,800 | Fair prices sell in days |
| 2 | Lakewood (LA County) | Closed $1.03M to $1.07M | $3,500 to $4,000 (3 bed units) | Strong rents, big lots |
| 3 | Anaheim | From $968K, median ask $1.45M | $2,800 to $3,450 | Lots of choice, permit checks matter |
| 4 | North and Central Long Beach | 10 of 25 ADU homes under $1.2M | Up to $4,700 | More than half of sellers cut price |
| 5 | Santa Ana | From $899K | $2,200 to $3,100 | Lowest entry, check rent rules |
| 6 | Westminster | From about $1.15M | $3,300 to $4,300 | Big price cuts on overpriced homes |
| 7 | Buena Park | From about $1.3M | $2,400 to $3,000 | Sellers cutting price |
| 8 | Fullerton | Escrow median $1.6M | $3,500 to $3,650 | Thin comps, strong rents |
| 9 | City of Orange | Median ask $1.64M | Varies | Only 6 listings |
| 10 | Costa Mesa | About $1.9M and up | $3,500 to $5,750 | Appreciation play |
1. Garden Grove
Garden Grove wins because it has everything at once: lots big enough for a detached ADU, an entry point near $1 million and the deepest pool of ADU sales in central Orange County. Four ADU homes closed in September between $1,022,000 and $1,200,000, and the two priced lowest sold in five days over asking. Newer 1,200 square foot ADUs are renting for $3,200 to $3,800.
Read the October Garden Grove ADU report for every listing, or see the full buy-and-build math in my Garden Grove case study.
2. Lakewood
Lakewood is the best ADU city in LA County right now. The typical lot has a detached garage at the back, which is the cheapest starting point for an ADU. Two ADU homes closed in September at $1,030,000 and $1,070,000, and new 3 bedroom ADU and SB9 units are leasing for $3,500 to $4,000 a month. One new three-unit property on Bellflower Boulevard is listed at $1,950,000 with $12,300 a month of rent in place.
Lakewood also sued the state over SB9 and lost, so the law is settled there. See why Lakewood has the most ADU potential in LA County.
3. Anaheim
Anaheim gives you the widest range of choices: eight ADU homes for sale this month, from $968,000 to $1,840,000, with a median ask of $1,449,500. Two-bedroom ADUs on current listings rent for $2,800 and $3,450. The catch is permits. A few listings this month showed “unknown” permits for some rooms or units. Anaheim also has specific rules, like the 10-foot separation rule, that decide whether a detached ADU fits. Details are in the Anaheim October report.
4. North and Central Long Beach
Long Beach has the biggest spread of any city I track, from $695,000 to $4.475 million, with a median around $1.35 million. The opportunity is in North Long Beach (90805 and 90807) and Central Long Beach (90813), where most of the 10 sub-$1.2 million ADU homes sit. More than half of Long Beach sellers have cut their price, usually by 4% to 5%. SB9 also adds options here. Read the October Long Beach ADU report and my guide to SB9 lot splits in Long Beach.
5. Santa Ana
Santa Ana has the lowest entry point in Orange County. ADU homes start under $900,000, and a few two-home lots near $1,045,000 bring in more than $6,000 a month combined. The reason it isn’t higher on this list is rent growth. Santa Ana’s rent stabilization cap limits how fast you can raise rents, which changes the long-term math. I break that down in what Santa Ana’s rent cap means for your ROI.
6. Westminster
Westminster has some of the best ADU rents in this group, about $3,300 to $4,300 a month for many second units. The October story was pricing. A fairly priced three-unit lot went into escrow in about two weeks, while overpriced homes took cuts of $50,000 to $688,000. That’s a buyer’s market for anyone patient. See the Westminster fall report.
7. Buena Park
Buena Park has steady long-term renters and ADUs renting for about $2,400 to $3,000. This fall, sellers are cutting prices, including a 6 bedroom home with a rented ADU now at $1,299,999. The city’s SB9 urgency ordinance adds limits worth understanding before you buy. See the Buena Park October report.
8. Fullerton
Fullerton ADUs rent well, $3,500 and $3,650 on current listings, and five homes are in escrow with a median price of $1,598,000. But comps are thin, and three of four active listings have cut their price. Thin comps make appraisals harder. See the Fullerton October report.
9. City of Orange
Orange has only six ADU homes for sale, from $1,395,000 to $2,195,000, with a median near $1,637,500. It’s a solid long-term city, but the small inventory means fewer chances to buy well.
10. Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa isn’t a cash flow city. It’s an appreciation city with strong rents. ADUs on current listings rent from $3,500 up to $5,750 a month on the east side. Entry prices start near $1.9 million, and the city bans short-term rentals, so every number has to work on long-term tenants. See what Costa Mesa’s short-term rental ban means for ADU investors.
Cities I’d approach with caution
- Huntington Beach. Median ask near $2.4 million, five of six ADU listings have cut their price and the city fights state housing law.
- Yorba Linda. Median ask near $2.9 million, and ADU rents on recent listings were only $950 to $2,270.
- Cypress. A thin comp pool. One active ADU home at $1,999,000 and a recent close at $760,000 make appraisals unpredictable. I covered the Cypress multi-family market separately.
- Stanton. Only one ADU home for sale, now $200,000 below its first price.
What changes in 2027
Two new state laws start January 1, 2027. AB 956 lets many single-family lots add two detached ADUs instead of one, and SB 1117 removes the 750 square foot fee cliff. Cities with big lots, like Garden Grove, Lakewood and Anaheim, gain the most. State rules are on the California HCD ADU page.
FAQ
What is the best city in Orange County to buy a house and add an ADU?
Based on fall 2026 data, Garden Grove. It combines big lots, entry prices near $1 million, ADU rents up to $3,800 and the deepest pool of ADU sales in central Orange County.
What is the best city in LA County for adding an ADU?
Lakewood. Rear detached garages make conversions and new builds easier, 3 bedroom ADU units rent for $3,500 to $4,000 and SB9 is settled law there.
Where is the cheapest place in Orange County to buy a home with an ADU?
Santa Ana, with ADU homes starting under $900,000. Factor in its rent stabilization rules before you buy.
Which cities should ADU investors avoid?
Not avoid, but be careful in cities with thin comps or very high entry prices, like Cypress, Stanton, Yorba Linda and Huntington Beach. Thin comps make appraisals and financing harder.
How much do ADUs rent for in Orange County in 2026?
On current listings, about $2,200 to $3,800 in most central OC cities, and up to $5,750 in east side Costa Mesa. Size, age and bedroom count drive the difference.
Is fall 2026 a good time to buy an ADU property?
For prepared buyers, yes. Rates are above 7%, which has thinned the buyer pool, and sellers in most of these cities are cutting prices or paying buyer costs.
The bottom line
If you want the best mix of price, rent and appraisal support, start with Garden Grove, Lakewood and Anaheim. If you want the lowest entry, look at Santa Ana and North Long Beach. If you want long-term appreciation and can carry the cost, Costa Mesa. Wherever you buy, the lot and the permits matter more than the city.
If you want help finding a lot that fits your budget and the ADU you want to build, call Dylan Serna, ADU Realtor at 714-860-2868.
Dylan Serna | The ADU Realtor | eXp Realty | DRE #02217359
This post is general information, not financial or investment advice. Prices and rents come from CRMLS listings pulled in September and October 2026 and change constantly. Rankings reflect my professional judgment for buyers adding an ADU and won’t fit every investor.
