Housing decision brief
Alpine County, CA Housing Market
Alpine County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
35th lowest home value out of 58 California counties with data
Median home value
$590,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
N/A
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,935/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.1%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
N/A
Needs rent and owner-cost data.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
22.10% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 89.5 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Alpine County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $590,200 | $481,100 | $281,900 | 23% pressure23% above California county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | N/A | $1,624 | $1,163 | Needs dataNo California county median comparison available |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,935 | $1,735 | $1,672 | 12% pressure12% above California county median |
Median household income | $105,521 | $83,473 | $74,755 | 26% favorable26% above California county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.77% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 23% favorable23% below California county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 22.10% | 32.00% | N/A | 31% favorable22.10% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
N/A
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$22,592
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Alpine County offers unknown rental housing at a median of N/A/month.
Rent vs own
Alpine County has incomplete rent-vs-own data. Median gross rent is N/A/month and median monthly owner cost is $1,753/month.
Income needed
For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $75,129/year. Notably, 20.0% of renter households in Alpine County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Rental cost data for Alpine County is unavailable for regional comparisons.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juab County, UT | $425,400 | $907/mo | Out-of-state peer near $425,400 home value and $907/mo rent. |
| Mono County, CA | $639,400 | $1,629/mo | Same-state comparison near $639,400 home value and $1,629/mo rent. |
| Skamania County, WA | $529,500 | $1,068/mo | Out-of-state peer near $529,500 home value and $1,068/mo rent. |
| Billings County, ND | $331,000 | $621/mo | Out-of-state peer near $331,000 home value and $621/mo rent. |
| Jefferson County, MT | $446,900 | $925/mo | Out-of-state peer near $446,900 home value and $925/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Alpine County
Is Alpine County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Alpine County?
How much income do you need for housing in Alpine County?
What should I double-check before moving to Alpine County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.