County housing intelligence
California Housing Market by County
California is not one housing market. Across 58 counties, the median county home value is $453,950 and the median county rent is $1,528/mo. The useful question is not whether California is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$453,950
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,528/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
58
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The California Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
San Mateo County, Marin County, Santa Clara County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Modoc County, Lassen County, Imperial County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Marin County lead on rent, while Modoc County, Trinity County, Imperial County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Modoc County, Lassen County, Alpine County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Modoc County
$212,000
- 2. Lassen County
$259,500
- 3. Imperial County
$279,500
- 4. Siskiyou County
$284,500
- 5. Tulare County
$303,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Modoc County
3.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. Lassen County
4.0x home-value-to-income
- 3. Alpine County
4.2x home-value-to-income
- 4. Kings County
4.4x home-value-to-income
- 5. Tulare County
4.4x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Modoc County
$818/mo
- 2. Trinity County
$922/mo
- 3. Imperial County
$1,012/mo
- 4. Plumas County
$1,034/mo
- 5. Lassen County
$1,043/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Alpine County
20.0% rent burden
- 2. Inyo County
22.0% rent burden
- 3. Trinity County
23.0% rent burden
- 4. Plumas County
24.0% rent burden
- 5. San Francisco County
24.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Trinity County
0.54% effective tax rate
- 2. Del Norte County
0.59% effective tax rate
- 3. San Mateo County
0.61% effective tax rate
- 4. Santa Cruz County
0.62% effective tax rate
- 5. Tehama County
0.63% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Del Norte County
$293/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Trinity County
$239/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Siskiyou County
$177/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Modoc County
$159/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Inyo County
$127/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Alpine County
$110,781 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 2. Placer County
$114,678 income, 5.7x value-to-income
- 3. Contra Costa County
$125,727 income, 6.6x value-to-income
- 4. Santa Clara County
$159,674 income, 8.7x value-to-income
- 5. El Dorado County
$106,190 income, 6.0x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Modoc County $212,000 home value, $56,648 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Renter pressure | Humboldt County $1,249/mo rent, 36.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | San Mateo County $1,494,500 home value, $156,000 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every California County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modoc County | $212,000 | $818/mo | $56,648 | 3.7x | 0.68% |
| Lassen County | $259,500 | $1,043/mo | $64,395 | 4.0x | 0.72% |
| Alpine County | $466,100 | N/A | $110,781 | 4.2x | 0.68% |
| Kings County | $305,700 | $1,228/mo | $68,750 | 4.4x | 0.75% |
| Tulare County | $303,000 | $1,206/mo | $69,489 | 4.4x | 0.73% |
| Kern County | $310,600 | $1,220/mo | $67,660 | 4.6x | 0.91% |
| Inyo County | $338,400 | $1,140/mo | $72,432 | 4.7x | 0.71% |
| Del Norte County | $319,600 | $1,182/mo | $66,780 | 4.8x | 0.59% |
| Glenn County | $338,400 | $1,103/mo | $70,487 | 4.8x | 0.65% |
| Shasta County | $347,200 | $1,267/mo | $71,931 | 4.8x | 0.70% |
| Madera County | $367,700 | $1,307/mo | $75,496 | 4.9x | 0.70% |
| Colusa County | $375,100 | $1,139/mo | $75,149 | 5.0x | 0.66% |
| Imperial County | $279,500 | $1,012/mo | $56,393 | 5.0x | 0.84% |
| Plumas County | $327,400 | $1,034/mo | $64,946 | 5.0x | 0.72% |
| Fresno County | $362,600 | $1,300/mo | $71,434 | 5.1x | 0.75% |
| Siskiyou County | $284,500 | $1,043/mo | $55,499 | 5.1x | 0.66% |
| Tehama County | $315,600 | $1,159/mo | $61,834 | 5.1x | 0.63% |
| Amador County | $422,800 | $1,380/mo | $81,526 | 5.2x | 0.70% |
| Yuba County | $380,000 | $1,209/mo | $73,313 | 5.2x | 0.75% |
| Sutter County | $399,400 | $1,364/mo | $75,450 | 5.3x | 0.78% |
| Lake County | $316,800 | $1,292/mo | $58,738 | 5.4x | 0.72% |
| Stanislaus County | $426,600 | $1,528/mo | $79,661 | 5.4x | 0.71% |
| Calaveras County | $441,800 | $1,615/mo | $79,877 | 5.5x | 0.71% |
| Mariposa County | $358,000 | $1,268/mo | $65,378 | 5.5x | 0.68% |
| Sacramento County | $498,900 | $1,702/mo | $88,724 | 5.6x | 0.76% |
| San Joaquin County | $494,500 | $1,633/mo | $88,531 | 5.6x | 0.76% |
| Sierra County | $334,100 | $1,181/mo | $60,000 | 5.6x | 0.78% |
| Tuolumne County | $406,200 | $1,247/mo | $72,259 | 5.6x | 0.67% |
| Merced County | $368,400 | $1,284/mo | $65,044 | 5.7x | 0.68% |
| Placer County | $658,800 | $1,991/mo | $114,678 | 5.7x | 0.85% |
| Riverside County | $510,300 | $1,814/mo | $89,672 | 5.7x | 0.82% |
| San Bernardino County | $475,000 | $1,706/mo | $82,184 | 5.8x | 0.70% |
| Mono County | $514,300 | $1,593/mo | $86,953 | 5.9x | 0.77% |
| Solano County | $589,600 | $2,088/mo | $99,994 | 5.9x | 0.75% |
| Butte County | $408,700 | $1,369/mo | $68,574 | 6.0x | 0.69% |
| El Dorado County | $640,500 | $1,626/mo | $106,190 | 6.0x | 0.70% |
| Trinity County | $329,000 | $922/mo | $53,498 | 6.1x | 0.54% |
| Contra Costa County | $830,800 | $2,322/mo | $125,727 | 6.6x | 0.83% |
| Yolo County | $593,800 | $1,757/mo | $88,818 | 6.7x | 0.77% |
| Humboldt County | $418,800 | $1,249/mo | $61,135 | 6.9x | 0.65% |
| San Benito County | $751,500 | $1,922/mo | $108,289 | 6.9x | 0.81% |
| Nevada County | $602,800 | $1,635/mo | $84,905 | 7.1x | 0.74% |
| Ventura County | $768,400 | $2,248/mo | $107,327 | 7.2x | 0.69% |
| Mendocino County | $486,000 | $1,325/mo | $64,688 | 7.5x | 0.69% |
| Sonoma County | $779,000 | $2,093/mo | $102,840 | 7.6x | 0.72% |
| Monterey County | $723,100 | $1,995/mo | $94,486 | 7.7x | 0.66% |
| Napa County | $838,800 | $2,141/mo | $108,970 | 7.7x | 0.70% |
| San Diego County | $791,600 | $2,154/mo | $102,285 | 7.7x | 0.70% |
| Santa Barbara County | $735,700 | $2,050/mo | $95,977 | 7.7x | 0.66% |
| Orange County | $915,500 | $2,352/mo | $113,702 | 8.1x | 0.67% |
| San Luis Obispo County | $777,200 | $1,899/mo | $93,398 | 8.3x | 0.70% |
| Alameda County | $1,057,400 | $2,318/mo | $126,240 | 8.4x | 0.76% |
| Santa Clara County | $1,382,800 | $2,814/mo | $159,674 | 8.7x | 0.71% |
| Los Angeles County | $783,300 | $1,893/mo | $87,760 | 8.9x | 0.69% |
| Santa Cruz County | $1,015,200 | $2,172/mo | $109,266 | 9.3x | 0.62% |
| San Mateo County | $1,494,500 | $2,893/mo | $156,000 | 9.6x | 0.61% |
| Marin County | $1,390,000 | $2,584/mo | $142,785 | 9.7x | 0.72% |
| San Francisco County | $1,380,500 | $2,419/mo | $141,446 | 9.8x | 0.68% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in California by county?
What is the typical rent in California by county?
Which California counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.