Housing decision brief
Madera County, CA Housing Market
Madera County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
19th lowest home value out of 58 California counties with data | 24th lowest rent out of 57
Median home value
$367,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,307/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,530/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$223/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$367,700 median home value is 19% below California county median
Lower rent
$1,307/mo is 14% below California county median
What to Check
Lower income base
$75,496 median income is 6% below California county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 42.5 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
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
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Madera 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. | $367,700 | $453,950 | $281,900 | 19% favorable19% below California county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,307 | $1,528 | $1,163 | 14% favorable14% below California county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,530 | $1,640 | $1,672 | 7% favorable7% below California county median |
Median household income | $75,496 | $80,702 | $74,755 | 6% pressure6% below California county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.70% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 30% favorable30% below California county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 32.00% | N/A | Near state median32.00% 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
+$23,216
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$9,925
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Madera County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $1,307/month , about 20.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $1,307/month rent versus $1,530/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $223/month cheaper , a 15% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $52,280/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $65,571/year. With a median household income of $75,496, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in Madera County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Sutter County where rent averages $1,364/month, Madera County is approximately 4% less expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County, CA | $362,600 | $1,300/mo | Same-state comparison near $362,600 home value and $1,300/mo rent. |
| Sutter County, CA | $399,400 | $1,364/mo | Same-state comparison near $399,400 home value and $1,364/mo rent. |
| Shasta County, CA | $347,200 | $1,267/mo | Same-state comparison near $347,200 home value and $1,267/mo rent. |
| Yuba County, CA | $380,000 | $1,209/mo | Same-state comparison near $380,000 home value and $1,209/mo rent. |
| Colusa County, CA | $375,100 | $1,139/mo | Same-state comparison near $375,100 home value and $1,139/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Madera County
Is Madera County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Madera County?
How much income do you need for housing in Madera County?
What should I double-check before moving to Madera County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.