Housing decision brief
San Benito County, CA Housing Market
San Benito 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.
44th lowest home value out of 58 California counties with data | 41st lowest rent out of 57
Median home value
$751,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,922/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$2,738/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
6.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$816/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
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 San Benito 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. | $751,500 | $453,950 | $281,900 | 66% pressure66% above California county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,922 | $1,528 | $1,163 | 26% pressure26% above California county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $2,738 | $1,640 | $1,672 | 67% pressure67% above California county median |
Median household income | $108,289 | $80,702 | $74,755 | 34% favorable34% above California county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.81% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 19% favorable19% below California county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 32.00% | N/A | 9% favorable29.00% 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
+$31,409
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
-$9,054
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in San Benito County is affordable. The median rent is $1,922/month against a median household income of $108,289, putting rent at 21.3% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in San Benito County pay $1,922/month on average, compared to $2,738/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 30%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $76,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $117,343/year. With a median household income of $108,289, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in San Benito County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within California, San Benito County is less affordable than Placer County by roughly 3% ($1,922/mo vs $1,991/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County, CA | $779,000 | $2,093/mo | Same-state comparison near $779,000 home value and $2,093/mo rent. |
| Ventura County, CA | $768,400 | $2,248/mo | Same-state comparison near $768,400 home value and $2,248/mo rent. |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | $777,200 | $1,899/mo | Same-state comparison near $777,200 home value and $1,899/mo rent. |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | $735,700 | $2,050/mo | Same-state comparison near $735,700 home value and $2,050/mo rent. |
| Monterey County, CA | $723,100 | $1,995/mo | Same-state comparison near $723,100 home value and $1,995/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for San Benito County
Is San Benito County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in San Benito County?
How much income do you need for housing in San Benito County?
What should I double-check before moving to San Benito County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.