California home prices and mortgage costs
Typical home value $761,538 · +0.6% in a year · property tax 0.72%
California ranks 2nd most expensive of 51 states and D.C. Home values changed +0.6% over the past year and +13.3% over five years. Buying the typical home with 20% down costs about $4,935 a month at 7.11%, which needs a household income of about $211,500.
Cost of the typical California home
| Down payment | Cash down | Loan | Principal + interest | PMI / MIP | Tax + insurance | Total / month | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20% down | $152,308 | $609,230 | $4,098 | $0 | $837 | $4,935 | $211,500 |
| 10% down | $76,154 | $685,384 | $4,611 | $286 | $837 | $5,733 | $245,700 |
| 5% down | $38,077 | $723,461 | $4,867 | $301 | $837 | $6,005 | $257,400 |
| 3.5% down (FHA) | $26,654 | $747,745 | $5,030 | $337 | $837 | $6,204 | $265,900 |
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.
Check a specific budget: how much house you can afford in California by salary · payment on a $750K home in California
Home prices by county in California
| County | Typical home | 1-yr change | Tax rate | Payment / month | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County | $1,579,058 | +4.4% | 0.61% | $10,091 | $432,500 |
| Santa Clara County | $1,562,682 | +0.3% | 0.67% | $10,065 | $431,400 |
| Marin County | $1,484,731 | +4.8% | 0.66% | $9,554 | $409,400 |
| San Francisco County | $1,441,170 | +15.5% | 0.71% | $9,326 | $399,700 |
| Orange County | $1,174,873 | +3.2% | 0.66% | $7,554 | $323,700 |
| Santa Cruz County | $1,136,188 | +4.8% | 0.64% | $7,285 | $312,200 |
| Alameda County | $1,044,951 | -0.4% | 0.78% | $6,823 | $292,400 |
| Santa Barbara County | $988,595 | +4.3% | 0.65% | $6,346 | $272,000 |
| San Diego County | $926,979 | +0.8% | 0.68% | $5,974 | $256,000 |
| San Luis Obispo County | $897,661 | +2.0% | 0.68% | $5,791 | $248,200 |
| Los Angeles County | $871,674 | +0.4% | 0.68% | $5,621 | $240,900 |
| Ventura County | $869,794 | +1.1% | 0.68% | $5,607 | $240,300 |
| Napa County | $869,491 | -1.0% | 0.69% | $5,614 | $240,600 |
| Monterey County | $841,129 | +1.2% | 0.63% | $5,388 | $230,900 |
| Sonoma County | $782,980 | +0.8% | 0.7% | $5,061 | $216,900 |
| Contra Costa County | $768,394 | -0.5% | 0.83% | $5,048 | $216,300 |
| San Benito County | $763,020 | +0.1% | 0.81% | $5,004 | $214,500 |
| Mono County | $758,836 | +3.2% | 0.65% | $4,876 | $209,000 |
| Placer County | $684,800 | +1.3% | 0.84% | $4,510 | $193,300 |
| El Dorado County | $648,637 | +0.8% | 0.7% | $4,193 | $179,700 |
| Yolo County | $612,563 | -0.3% | 0.77% | $3,993 | $171,100 |
| Nevada County | $610,265 | +0.8% | 0.75% | $3,973 | $170,300 |
| Riverside County | $602,790 | +0.4% | 0.78% | $3,937 | $168,700 |
| Solano County | $571,152 | -0.9% | 0.75% | $3,715 | $159,200 |
| San Bernardino County | $548,565 | +0.9% | 0.7% | $3,547 | $152,000 |
| Inyo County | $524,036 | +5.7% | 0.74% | $3,405 | $145,900 |
| Sacramento County | $521,128 | -0.5% | 0.73% | $3,384 | $145,000 |
| San Joaquin County | $519,776 | -2.1% | 0.75% | $3,380 | $144,900 |
| Alpine County | $508,465 | -2.0% | 0.77% | $3,316 | $142,100 |
| Mendocino County | $480,674 | -1.2% | 0.69% | $3,104 | $133,000 |
| Stanislaus County | $461,114 | +0.2% | 0.71% | $2,987 | $128,000 |
| Sutter County | $432,267 | +0.2% | 0.75% | $2,814 | $120,600 |
| Calaveras County | $429,409 | -2.0% | 0.73% | $2,785 | $119,400 |
| Madera County | $421,927 | +1.7% | 0.7% | $2,728 | $116,900 |
| Amador County | $415,589 | -0.3% | 0.71% | $2,689 | $115,200 |
| Yuba County | $415,272 | -0.8% | 0.74% | $2,700 | $115,700 |
| Merced County | $413,640 | -0.3% | 0.67% | $2,665 | $114,200 |
| Humboldt County | $412,733 | -2.4% | 0.64% | $2,648 | $113,500 |
| Fresno County | $404,056 | +1.1% | 0.74% | $2,624 | $112,500 |
| Butte County | $394,052 | +0.2% | 0.69% | $2,546 | $109,100 |
| Mariposa County | $385,831 | -0.8% | 0.61% | $2,466 | $105,700 |
| Tuolumne County | $385,440 | -1.2% | 0.66% | $2,479 | $106,300 |
| Imperial County | $382,001 | +4.7% | 0.77% | $2,493 | $106,800 |
| Colusa County | $371,142 | +0.6% | 0.62% | $2,374 | $101,700 |
| Shasta County | $367,699 | +0.0% | 0.69% | $2,375 | $101,800 |
| Plumas County | $364,061 | -0.1% | 0.7% | $2,355 | $100,900 |
| Kings County | $363,953 | +3.0% | 0.75% | $2,367 | $101,500 |
| Del Norte County | $361,100 | -1.1% | 0.61% | $2,309 | $98,900 |
| Tulare County | $360,861 | +1.9% | 0.7% | $2,334 | $100,000 |
| Glenn County | $360,411 | +3.0% | 0.64% | $2,313 | $99,100 |
| Kern County | $360,205 | +0.0% | 0.88% | $2,383 | $102,100 |
| Sierra County | $323,410 | -0.3% | 0.69% | $2,087 | $89,500 |
| Tehama County | $315,084 | +3.1% | 0.62% | $2,017 | $86,400 |
| Lake County | $301,548 | -1.1% | 0.73% | $1,957 | $83,900 |
| Siskiyou County | $281,544 | -1.4% | 0.64% | $1,806 | $77,400 |
| Trinity County | $235,389 | -2.5% | 0.58% | $1,498 | $64,200 |
| Lassen County | $230,824 | +1.5% | 0.72% | $1,497 | $64,200 |
| Modoc County | $192,295 | +3.4% | 0.69% | $1,242 | $53,200 |
Metro areas in California
Frequently asked questions
What is the average home price in California?
The typical home in California is worth $761,538 according to the Zillow Home Value Index for September 2026.
How much income do you need to buy a house in California?
About $211,500 a year to buy the typical $761,538 home with 20% down at 7.11%, keeping housing under 28% of income.
What is the property tax rate in California?
The typical effective rate is 0.72% of the home's value a year (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2025).