Housing decision brief
Solano County, CA Housing Market
Solano 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.
37th lowest home value out of 58 California counties with data | 45th lowest rent out of 57
Median home value
$589,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$2,088/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$2,202/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
33.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$114/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is D. 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 Solano 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. | $589,600 | $453,950 | $281,900 | 30% pressure30% above California county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $2,088 | $1,528 | $1,163 | 37% pressure37% above California county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $2,202 | $1,640 | $1,672 | 34% pressure34% above California county median |
Median household income | $99,994 | $80,702 | $74,755 | 24% favorable24% above California county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.75% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 25% favorable25% below California county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 33.00% | 32.00% | N/A | Near state median33.00% 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
+$16,474
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$5,623
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 Solano County is moderately affordable. The median rent is $2,088/month against a median household income of $99,994, putting rent at 25.1% of income.
Rent vs own
At $2,088/month rent versus $2,202/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $114/month cheaper , a 5% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $83,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $94,371/year. With a median household income of $99,994, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 33.0% of renter households in Solano County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Solano County sits 2% less expensive than Napa County ($2,141/month) in terms of median gross rent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County, CA | $735,700 | $2,050/mo | Same-state comparison near $735,700 home value and $2,050/mo rent. |
| Placer County, CA | $658,800 | $1,991/mo | Same-state comparison near $658,800 home value and $1,991/mo rent. |
| Yolo County, CA | $593,800 | $1,757/mo | Same-state comparison near $593,800 home value and $1,757/mo rent. |
| Monterey County, CA | $723,100 | $1,995/mo | Same-state comparison near $723,100 home value and $1,995/mo rent. |
| Sonoma County, CA | $779,000 | $2,093/mo | Same-state comparison near $779,000 home value and $2,093/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Solano County
Is Solano County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Solano County?
How much income do you need for housing in Solano County?
What should I double-check before moving to Solano County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.