Anaheim ADU Market Update — May 2026: What's Active, What's Closed, and What the Income Numbers Are Saying

Anaheim is the most inventory-rich ADU market in Orange County right now. Seven active listings, two recent closings, and price data that ranges from $1.1M entry-level to a $1.84M auction property — there is more to work with here than in almost any other OC city. That depth makes it easier to read the market, and this month the data is telling a clear story.

What Makes Anaheim Different

Before the comps, the context: Anaheim's ADU market is structured differently than neighboring cities like Fullerton or Garden Grove, and understanding why changes how you read the data.

Anaheim's lot stock — particularly in West and Central Anaheim (92801, 92802, 92804) — skews smaller than North Fullerton or Garden Grove. Lots in the 5,000–10,000 sq ft range are common. But California state ADU law allows a single-family lot to carry both a standard ADU and a Junior ADU regardless of lot size, which means Anaheim sellers and investors have figured out how to stack units on footprints that wouldn't support additional density in other ways. The result is a higher concentration of true three-unit properties than you see in most OC markets.

The other factor is demand. The Disneyland Resort corridor, Angel Stadium, the Honda Center, and the Anaheim Packing District create structural workforce housing demand that doesn't go away. These are not seasonal rental markets — they're year-round, and the tenant pool pulls from multiple employment anchors at once. That's a different risk profile than a city whose tenant demand is tied to a single employer or freeway corridor.

Active Listings: Seven Properties, Very Different Stories

1621 W Palais Road — $1,549,999 — The income story of this comp set. A 2,997 sq ft home on a 10,710 sq ft lot near Disneyland with three income-producing units generating over $6,800 per month in combined rent: the renovated 3bd/2ba main house (2,317 sq ft) at $3,000/month, plus two back units at $3,800/month combined. The permitted 680 sq ft ADU (2bd/2ba, built 2018, separate address) is one of them. The property also carries 52 fully paid-off solar panels. At $1,549,999 list, that's a gross yield approaching 5.3% — above average for Orange County. 43 days on market.

2550 W Rowland Avenue — $1,699,000 (reduced from $1,720,000) — A large 4-bedroom ranch home with pool on a 15,520 sq ft lot (over 1/3 acre) near Disneyland, with a 2bd/2ba Junior ADU currently occupied and rented month-to-month. The ADU is 900 sq ft — oversized for a JADU, which technically caps at 500 sq ft under state guidelines. Buyers should verify the permit classification. The seller is motivated (noted in private remarks) and has taken an initial price cut. 86 days on market.

940 N Garden Street — $1,480,000 — Listed as a triplex, which is the accurate description: three fully separate living spaces on a 6,406 sq ft lot in Northwest Anaheim. The main SFR (3bd/2ba) is renovated, the detached ADU (2bd/1ba, 740 sq ft, built 2024) is rented, and the Junior ADU (1bd/1ba, 360 sq ft, built 2024) is also rented. All three units are currently tenant-occupied. Brand new listing as of 05/06/26, 9 days on market. This is the type of purpose-built, three-unit income property that serious investors in Anaheim should be watching.

802 S Cinda Street — $1,549,990 (price increased from $1,449,998) — A notable data point: this property actually went up in price after listing — unusual enough to flag. The Southeast Anaheim location near Anaheim Coves Park backs to scenic walking and biking trails, and the detached ADU (2bd/2ba, 900 sq ft) has separate gas and electric meters, which is the right infrastructure for clean lender qualification. Near Fullerton College and Angel Stadium. 16 days on market. The price increase suggests the seller received market interest and recalibrated.

10301 Antigua Street — $1,840,000 (AUCTION) — Three units on a 7,200 sq ft lot in West Anaheim: a 4bd/2ba main residence (1,030 sq ft), a detached studio (429 sq ft), and a brand-new 2bd/2ba ADU (800 sq ft, built 2024) with separate address and separate electric and gas meters. The property is going to auction with bidding scheduled to open June 8, 2026. The starting bid is $1,840,000; final price may differ significantly. Treat this as a watch rather than a comp until the auction result is in.

1265 N Potomac Circle — $1,299,999 — The most affordable active listing in this dataset, located in the Anaheim Hills area (92807, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified schools). A well-maintained 1,903 sq ft home with a fully permitted 500 sq ft ADU built in 2018 — own kitchen, private restroom, and separate living space. Accepts FHA, VA, and conventional financing. RV access. Cul-de-sac. 30 days on market. For buyers who want a permitted ADU at a sub-$1.3M entry point with suburban Anaheim fundamentals, this is the cleanest option currently active.

645 S Trident Street — $1,100,000 (raised from $1,048,000) — Two units on one lot near Disneyland, with separate addresses and separate electric meters. The main house is 1,415 sq ft (3bd/2ba) with a pool. The ADU is a 462 sq ft studio built 2022. The problem is visible in the data: 117 days on market, and the seller has now raised the price. A 462 sq ft studio with no parking and shared water/gas meters is a difficult ADU to appraise as a standalone income asset. This is a case study in what happens when a small ADU is priced without accounting for its financing limitations — something our post on why ADU properties sit in Orange County walks through in detail.

Closed Sales: Where the Market Actually Is

With only two recent closings, the data set is thin — but both transactions are instructive.

718 S Claudina Street — Closed $1,200,000 — The fastest close in this comp set: 3 days on market, contract signed March 9, closed April 14. A 1,269 sq ft main home paired with a brand-new 730 sq ft ADU (2bd/1.5ba, built 2024, rented) on a 5,457 sq ft lot. Located blocks from the Anaheim Packing District and one mile from Disneyland. The buyer used cash-to-loan conventional financing. The speed tells the story — new construction ADU, prime Anaheim location, reasonable price point, done. This is the template.

10281 Bouvais Road — Closed $1,265,000 — Listed at $1,325,000, closed at $1,265,000 after 18 days on market. A 3bd/1ba main house (1,112 sq ft) plus a brand-new fully permitted 2bd/1ba ADU (749 sq ft, completed November 2024, separate address, separate electric meter, paid-off solar, tankless water heater). West Anaheim near Sherwood Forest. Conventional financing. The $60,000 concession from list to close is worth noting — even quality properties with new permitted ADUs aren't immune to negotiation in this price range. The private remarks also flag that this census tract qualifies for a $20,000 grant and special financing through City National Bank — a detail that could have helped the buyer pool significantly if marketed more aggressively.

What the Numbers Tell You

Anaheim's ADU market entry is lower than most people think. Two closings in the $1.2M–$1.265M range confirm that well-positioned properties with new, permitted ADUs are trading in that band. That's meaningfully more accessible than the Fullerton ADU market, where closings ran $1.29M–$2.625M, and it offers similar or better rental income potential given Anaheim's tenant demand.

Three-unit plays are Anaheim's calling card. No other OC city in this comp set shows as many main house + ADU + JADU combinations as Anaheim. The 940 N Garden triplex and 1621 W Palais are both examples of this stacking strategy. Under California law, a single-family lot qualifies for one standard ADU and one JADU — Anaheim landlords are maximizing this consistently.

Permitted ADUs close faster and tighter. The Claudina close (3 days) and the Bouvais close (18 days) both featured new, fully permitted ADUs. The 645 S Trident studio — smaller, older, and without the same permit clarity — has been sitting 117 days. Understanding how lenders value ADU properties when you sell makes this pattern obvious: appraisers need comparable rentals to support ADU value, and fully permitted, separately metered units give them the data they need.

Separate meters matter here too. The two closings (Claudina and Bouvais), plus the strongest actives (802 S Cinda, 10301 Antigua), all have separate electric meters. Fannie Mae's ADU income qualification guidelines allow lenders to count rental income when underwriting, and separately metered units make that calculation cleaner. For sellers: if your ADU shares meters, that's a negotiating disadvantage worth understanding before you list.

Income is the primary buyer motivation. This is less true in Fullerton, where lifestyle and school districts drive a meaningful share of demand. In Anaheim, virtually every listing in this dataset leads with rental income. The 1621 W Palais listing cites $6,800+/month before anything else. Buyers here are underwriting a real estate investment, not just a home purchase — which means the quality and verifiability of that income story determines how fast and how cleanly a deal closes.

The Rental Income Picture

The income data in this comp set is strong. The 1621 W Palais three-unit property is generating over $6,800/month gross. The 940 N Garden triplex has all three units rented (no amounts disclosed, but a 2bd/1ba ADU and 1bd/1ba JADU in Northwest Anaheim would realistically produce $2,000–$2,400/month combined). The Claudina ADU was rented at the time of closing.

For standalone ADU rentals in Anaheim, market rents generally run $1,800–$2,500/month for a 1bd unit and $2,200–$3,000/month for a 2bd unit, depending on location, finish level, and whether parking is included. The resort corridor (92802, 92804, 92805) tends to run higher given proximity to major employers. For context, Garden Grove ADU rentals — one city over — run in a similar range, but Anaheim's employment density gives it a slight edge on vacancy risk.

A Note on Tenant-Occupied Properties

Several of the active listings in this dataset are occupied by tenants — and sellers should think carefully about this before going to market. The 2550 W Rowland property has been sitting 86 days, largely because the tenant occupancy complicates showings and buyer due diligence. The question of whether to sell with tenants in place or vacant is one that comes up constantly in this market, and the answer isn't always obvious — it depends on lease terms, tenant cooperation, and whether the rental income story is strong enough to offset the access friction. We've covered this in depth in our post on selling vacant vs. tenant-occupied ADU properties.

Anaheim ADU Rules: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Anaheim's local ADU ordinance tracks closely with California state law, which allows up to two ADUs on a single-family lot — one standard detached or attached ADU (up to 1,200 sq ft) and one Junior ADU (up to 500 sq ft, carved from the existing home's footprint). Key items specific to Anaheim:

• The city processes ADU permits through its Building Division; applications can be submitted online

• No owner-occupancy requirement for ADU rentals (state law preempts local restrictions)

• Parking generally not required for ADUs within a half-mile of transit — and much of central and west Anaheim qualifies

• Separate utility meters are not required by state law but are strongly advisable for financing and appraisal purposes

One note worth flagging from the private remarks on 10281 Bouvais: that property sits in a census tract qualifying for a $20,000 grant through City National Bank for qualified buyers. If you're targeting West Anaheim properties near the 92804 zip code, it's worth asking your lender whether the subject property qualifies.

Who Should Be Paying Attention

Investors seeking income density — the 940 N Garden triplex and 1621 W Palais are the properties to study. Both have multiple rented units, and both are priced below $1.55M. The three-unit structure means income diversification within a single purchase.

First-time ADU investors — the 1265 N Potomac (Anaheim Hills, $1,299,999, permitted ADU, FHA-eligible) is the lowest-friction entry point in the entire comp set. Permitted, no tenant complications, cul-de-sac, suburban schools.

Sellers with tenant-occupied properties — the 86-day DOM on 2550 W Rowland should serve as a data point. Tenant occupancy creates showing friction and buyer uncertainty. Price accordingly, or get the tenant's cooperation in writing before you list.

Sellers with newer, permitted ADUs near the resort corridor — the 3-day close on 718 S Claudina is your benchmark. That's what the market pays for a new, permitted ADU in a great location when it's priced correctly.

Dylan Serna is an ADU specialist agent at eXp Realty serving Orange County and LA County. DRE# 02217359. Data sourced from CRMLS, May 2026. All square footage, rental income figures, and financial data are approximate; buyers should independently verify all information.