How much house can I afford on $250,000 in California?
About $900,000 with 20% down ($716,000 with an FHA loan), using California's 0.72% property tax rate.
That is $138,619 more than the typical California home ($761,538), so a $250,000 salary can buy a typical home here. The payment of $5,833 covers $4,844 principal and interest, $539 property tax and $450 insurance.
Counties in California you can afford on $250,000
49 of 58 counties have a typical home value at or below $900,000. The 25 priciest of them:
| County | Typical home | 1-yr change | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County | $897,661 | +2.0% | 0.68% |
| Los Angeles County | $871,674 | +0.4% | 0.68% |
| Ventura County | $869,794 | +1.1% | 0.68% |
| Napa County | $869,491 | -1.0% | 0.69% |
| Monterey County | $841,129 | +1.2% | 0.63% |
| Sonoma County | $782,980 | +0.8% | 0.7% |
| Contra Costa County | $768,394 | -0.5% | 0.83% |
| San Benito County | $763,020 | +0.1% | 0.81% |
| Mono County | $758,836 | +3.2% | 0.65% |
| Placer County | $684,800 | +1.3% | 0.84% |
| El Dorado County | $648,637 | +0.8% | 0.7% |
| Yolo County | $612,563 | -0.3% | 0.77% |
| Nevada County | $610,265 | +0.8% | 0.75% |
| Riverside County | $602,790 | +0.4% | 0.78% |
| Solano County | $571,152 | -0.9% | 0.75% |
| San Bernardino County | $548,565 | +0.9% | 0.7% |
| Inyo County | $524,036 | +5.7% | 0.74% |
| Sacramento County | $521,128 | -0.5% | 0.73% |
| San Joaquin County | $519,776 | -2.1% | 0.75% |
| Alpine County | $508,465 | -2.0% | 0.77% |
| Mendocino County | $480,674 | -1.2% | 0.69% |
| Stanislaus County | $461,114 | +0.2% | 0.71% |
| Sutter County | $432,267 | +0.2% | 0.75% |
| Calaveras County | $429,409 | -2.0% | 0.73% |
| Madera County | $421,927 | +1.7% | 0.7% |
Affordable metro areas
Assumes a 30-year fixed loan at 7.11%, property tax of 0.72% of the home value a year, homeowners insurance of 0.6% a year, PMI of 0.5% of the loan a year when the down payment is under 20%, and FHA mortgage insurance of 0.55% a year plus a 1.75% upfront premium added to the loan. Your rate, taxes and insurance will differ.
Other salaries in California
Frequently asked questions
How much house can I afford on $250,000 in California?
About $900,000 with 20% down at 7.11%, keeping the payment (with California's 0.72% property tax and insurance) under $5,833 a month.
Is $250,000 enough to buy a house in California?
Yes: the typical California home is worth $761,538 (Zillow, September 2026) and $250,000 supports about $900,000. 49 of 58 counties are within budget.