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The North Coast runs south from the mouth of the Columbia River to roughly the Tillamook County line — one of the most visited stretches of Oregon’s 363-mile shoreline and the closest beach market to Portland (Seaside is ~80 miles via US-26; Astoria ~100 miles via US-30). Our coverage spans 6 cities across two counties: Astoria (Clatsop County seat, founded 1811 — the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains), Warrenton (at the Columbia River mouth), Gearhart (1890s golf resort community), Seaside (largest year-round coastal city in our network), Cannon Beach (home of the 235-ft Haystack Rock), and Manzanita (under Neahkahnie Mountain, one of the highest peaks on the northern Oregon Coast).
2024 Census Bureau estimate (Vintage 2024) · Lincoln County + Pacific City
We’re rebuilding our home search. In the meantime, tell us what you’re after and we’ll send you active listings across the North Coast region that match — usually within one business day.
Searching in: North Coast Oregon
Facts about the North Coast region compiled from official and public sources. Each data point shows its vintage (when the source published it) so you know what you’re looking at.
Clatsop 41,363 · Tillamook 27,496 · both counties growing modestly (Clatsop +5.8% 2019-2024)
2024 Census estimate (Vintage 2024)
Clatsop (seat: Astoria) · Tillamook (seat: Tillamook)
Oregon Blue Book ·
Astoria (~9,906) · Seaside (7,260) · Warrenton (~6,324) · Gearhart (1,854) · Cannon Beach (1,522) · Manzanita (~600)
Current
Founded as Fort Astoria by John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company · named for Astor · Clatsop County seat since 1854 · incorporated 1876
Current ·
Known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific” · more than 2,000 vessels lost since 1792 · bar pilots still required for all deep-draft vessel crossings
Current ·
Temperate maritime · 70–90″ annual rainfall · mild year-round (typical highs 55–68°F summer, 45–52°F winter) · prevailing southwest winds · persistent summer fog
NOAA NWS ·
Cannon Beach’s iconic sea stack · one of the most photographed landmarks on the Oregon Coast · tufted puffin rookery · protected as a Marine Garden and National Wildlife Refuge
Current ·
Guarded the Columbia River mouth from the Civil War through WWII · the only mainland U.S. military installation attacked in WWII (Japanese submarine I-25, June 21, 1942) · site of the Peter Iredale shipwreck (1906)
Current ·
Crescent Beach, Indian Beach, and Tillamook Head · filming location for The Goonies opening · Lewis & Clark viewpoint (Jan 1806) · note: park reopened April 2026 after Dec 2025 storm landslide; Clatsop Loop Trail west section closed April 2026 for ongoing slope failure
Current ·
One of the highest peaks on the northern Oregon Coast, rising directly above Manzanita · hiking access via Oswald West State Park · panoramic views of 7-mile Manzanita beach and the Nehalem estuary
US-26 connects Portland to Seaside (~80 miles) · US-101 runs the length of the coast · OR-202 and OR-53 are inland scenic alternates · no Amtrak or major airports on the North Coast
Cascadia Subduction Zone risk · large portions of all 6 cities fall within mapped tsunami inundation zones · material disclosure for coastal property buyers · Fort Stevens and Seaside have particularly wide low-lying exposure
Columbia Memorial Hospital (Astoria · 25-bed · Level III trauma · CMH-OHSU partnership) serves Clatsop County · Providence Seaside Hospital (Seaside · 25-bed) serves south Clatsop · Adventist Health Tillamook (Tillamook · 25-bed · Level IV trauma) serves Tillamook County
Current ·
The oldest golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River · front nine built 1892 by the Founders Corporation · expanded to 18 holes in 1913 · anchors Gearhart’s identity as a historic resort community · now owned by Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle
Current ·
Tillamook County Creamery Association · farmer-owned cooperative founded by 10 creameries in 1909 · cheddar, ice cream, butter, and yogurt · the Tillamook Creamery visitor center is the largest tourist attraction on the Oregon Coast (~1.3 million visitors/year)
Current ·
Cannon Beach, Seaside, Manzanita, and Gearhart each cap or restrict vacation rentals in residential zones · meaningful variable for investor-buyers · rules differ city-by-city, verify before purchase
The North Coast is Oregon’s most distinctive coastal real estate market — closer to Portland than any other beach market in the state (Seaside is ~80 miles from Portland via US-26), which drives steady demand for both primary residences and second homes. Our 6 cities span three distinct submarkets: Astoria and Warrenton at the Columbia River mouth, anchored by maritime industry, Coast Guard presence, and tourism rather than pure beachfront; Gearhart, Seaside, and Cannon Beach along the Clatsop beach corridor, each with its own character (Gearhart upscale-residential, Seaside larger and year-round, Cannon Beach the premium second-home/vacation market); and Manzanita in Tillamook County under Neahkahnie Mountain, quieter and less trafficked.
Three factors shape North Coast real estate decisions. First, tsunami risk is a meaningful due-diligence item — the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake scenario puts material portions of all 6 cities inside mapped tsunami inundation zones. Oregon requires seller disclosure of this in property transactions; buyers should consult DOGAMI’s public inundation maps before making offers, especially on low-elevation lots in Seaside, Warrenton, and downtown Cannon Beach. Second, short-term rental regulations matter for investor-buyers — Cannon Beach, Seaside, Manzanita, and Gearhart each limit or cap vacation rentals in residential zones, and rules differ city-by-city. What was buildable as a rental five years ago may not be today. Third, Cannon Beach commands the region’s price premium — tight inventory, restrictive land use, and second-home demand push median values well above Seaside or Astoria.
Because submarket dynamics vary significantly by city, regional medians obscure what’s actually happening. Pick a city below to see specific market data, or tell us what you’re after and we’ll match you to listings across the region.
Median sale price (North Coast)
Median days on market
Median price / sq ft
Active listings (region)
Cities in our network
Note: Regional market statistics activate with our RMLS integration and aggregate across the 6 North Coast cities in our network. For city-specific medians, click through to a city guide below.
Each card links to a full city guide with verified facts on schools, market data, and nearby areas. Populations are 2024 Census Bureau estimates unless noted. Cards are ordered north-to-south, starting at the Columbia River mouth.
Regions that border the North Coast. Regional guides marked “Coming soon” will populate as we build them out.
Quick answers about the North Coast region, each backed by an authoritative source. For questions specific to a particular property or city, call (800) 256-9702 to reach a licensed Oregon broker.
For real estate and tourism purposes, “North Coast” typically refers to the Oregon coastline from the mouth of the Columbia River south to roughly the southern edge of Tillamook County — bounded by Washington state to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Coast Range to the east. Our coverage spans two counties: Clatsop (Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon Beach) and Tillamook (Manzanita). The broader Tillamook County stretch (Nehalem, Rockaway Beach, Tillamook proper, Pacific City) extends south from Manzanita — we treat Pacific City as part of our Central Coast coverage, not the North Coast, because it’s culturally and geographically closer to Lincoln City than to the Clatsop beaches.
They’re three distinct markets that happen to be within 30 miles of each other. Astoria is a river town, not a beach town — the nearest ocean beach is 15+ miles away. Buyers come for the hillside Victorian homes, walkable historic downtown, working waterfront, and the most year-round-resident feel on the North Coast. Seaside is the largest year-round coastal city in our network — the Prom boardwalk, family-tourism economy, Providence Seaside Hospital, and more inventory across more price bands than the smaller villages. Cannon Beach is the region’s premium market — tight inventory, restrictive land use, Haystack Rock at the heart of the village, and demand from second-home buyers who want the iconic beach-town aesthetic. Median values run well above Seaside and multiples of Astoria. Your first decision is which of these three identities fits your goals.
Seriously — but with nuance. The Cascadia Subduction Zone runs offshore from northern California to British Columbia and produces a magnitude-9 earthquake on average about every 500 years (geologic record shows intervals of 300–900 years, with at least 13 identified events over ~10,000 years); the last such event was January 26, 1700, so the recurrence window is open. A Cascadia event would generate a tsunami reaching the Oregon Coast within 15–30 minutes of the earthquake. Oregon requires seller disclosure of tsunami inundation zone status in property transactions, and DOGAMI’s public inundation maps show that material portions of every North Coast city fall inside mapped zones — particularly the low-lying downtown areas of Seaside, Warrenton, and the commercial core of Cannon Beach. That said, zone risk is highly parcel-specific: a home at 100+ ft elevation just east of US-101 is materially safer than an oceanfront ground-floor unit. Practical items: (1) check DOGAMI’s map for the specific property before making offers, (2) understand the difference between XXL and L inundation scenarios, (3) confirm the community’s evacuation route signage and high-ground assembly areas, and (4) don’t mistake the distant-source-tsunami scenario (larger warning time) for the local Cascadia scenario (~15-minute window). Good brokers on the North Coast walk buyers through this as a matter of course.
Tighter than it used to be, and the rules vary city-by-city. Cannon Beach has the most restrictive framework — vacation rentals in residential zones are capped and subject to a permitting system with a cap on total active permits. Seaside, Manzanita, and Gearhart each have their own permitting, density-cap, or residential-zone limits. Astoria and Warrenton are comparatively less restrictive but still require permits and compliance with lodging-tax collection. The practical upshot: if your investment thesis relies on vacation rental income, verify the exact rules for the specific city and address before writing an offer — not after. What was a legal rental in 2019 may not be in 2026, and cities have been tightening rather than loosening over time. Consult the city’s planning department directly or ask your broker to pull the current ordinance.
It’s feasible for hybrid schedules but challenging for daily commuting. Seaside to downtown Portland is ~80 miles via US-26 (Sunset Highway) — roughly 1h 45m in good conditions, longer in weekend summer traffic or winter weather. Astoria to Portland is ~100 miles via US-30 along the Columbia — scenic but slower, typically 2h. Cannon Beach and Gearhart sit slightly west of Seaside, so add 10–15 minutes. Manzanita is further south — ~100 miles via US-26 + US-101, closer to 2h. The pattern most realistic on the North Coast: 1–3 days a week in Portland plus 2–4 days remote, rather than five-day daily commutes. There’s no commuter rail, no Amtrak North Coast service, and no nearby commercial airport (PDX is the closest, ~100 miles from Astoria). Weather matters — winter storms, rare snow events at the US-26 summit, and summer beach traffic all affect predictability.
Mild, wet, and foggy. The North Coast has a temperate oceanic (Köppen Cfb) climate — the Pacific moderates temperature extremes in both directions. Typical summer highs run 55–68°F; winter highs 45–52°F. Hard freezes are rare, snow is rarer. Annual rainfall runs 70–90 inches, concentrated October through May; summers are reliably drier but not dry. Summer fog is a persistent feature — warm inland air pulls cool marine layer over the beaches, often burning off by mid-afternoon. Expect gray mornings in July and August, sometimes persisting all day. Prevailing winds are southwest, often strong enough to matter during winter storms. Buyers moving from California or inland states often don’t realize how much cooler a peak North Coast summer day is versus inland Oregon — Seaside at 62°F is not uncommon when Portland is 85°F. Pack layers.
Three worth understanding. Earthquakes — the same Cascadia Subduction Zone scenario driving tsunami risk would also produce 3–5 minutes of severe shaking; older homes on soft-soil sites are most vulnerable. Oregon retrofit programs exist but adoption varies. Coastal erosion and landslides — the Coast is geologically active; the Ecola State Park landslide of December 2025 is a recent example, and bluffside homes near eroding headlands (portions of Gearhart, stretches north of Manzanita) require engineering review. The Oregon Geology and Mineral Industries department (DOGAMI) publishes landslide susceptibility maps. Storm-driven king tides and flooding — winter storms combine with king tides to produce occasional localized flooding, especially along the Necanicum River in Seaside and the Columbia estuary around Warrenton. Check FEMA flood zone designation on any property, and expect higher insurance premiums for zone V (velocity) vs. zone X parcels.
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Our travel-side guide on VisitOregon.com covers the full visitor experience across the North Coast — the Goonies filming locations and Flavel House in Astoria, Fort Stevens and the Peter Iredale shipwreck in Warrenton, the Prom boardwalk in Seaside, Haystack Rock tide pools in Cannon Beach, and the Neahkahnie Mountain hike above Manzanita. Useful whether you’re researching a move or planning a pre-buy weekend.
