California real estate markets
Compare 55 California counties by rent, home prices and property tax, using public government data. Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.37% in California and 0.52% nationwide.
Where the numbers stand out
55 counties · Swipe the table to see every column
| Market | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.50% | -1.2% | +4.0% | $324,300 | $1,616 | 0.73% | 68,152 |
| Kern County, CABakersfield rents · Run a deal | 0.49% | +2.0% | +8.6% | $338,300 | $1,656 | 0.88% | 915,075 |
| Kings County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.47% | +4.8% | +8.5% | $324,300 | $1,512 | 0.75% | 153,298 |
| Lassen County, CASusanville rents · Run a deal | 0.47% | +7.2% | +4.5% | $265,300 | $1,248 | 0.72% | 30,356 |
| Tulare County, CAVisalia rents · Run a deal | 0.44% | +3.8% | +8.9% | $330,100 | $1,450 | 0.70% | 478,693 |
| Imperial County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.44% | +7.3% | +9.8% | $309,600 | $1,347 | 0.77% | 180,202 |
| Fresno County, CAFresno rents · Run a deal | 0.43% | +2.3% | +8.3% | $388,800 | $1,685 | 0.74% | 1,016,725 |
| Shasta County, CARedding rents · Run a deal | 0.43% | 0.0% | +5.3% | $366,400 | $1,581 | 0.69% | 181,436 |
| San Bernardino County, CASan Bernardino rents · Run a deal | 0.42% | +1.2% | +8.8% | $505,000 | $2,103 | 0.70% | 2,197,104 |
| Inyo County, CABishop rents · Run a deal | 0.42% | +6.6% | +8.9% | $348,700 | $1,465 | 0.74% | 18,739 |
| Sacramento County, CASacramento rents · Run a deal | 0.41% | +0.6% | +6.5% | $534,200 | $2,201 | 0.73% | 1,594,006 |
| Santa Cruz County, CASanta Cruz rents · Run a deal | 0.41% | +0.3% | +5.4% | $1,027,500 | $4,254 | 0.64% | 264,926 |
| Siskiyou County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.41% | +4.6% | +6.8% | $309,500 | $1,254 | 0.64% | 43,466 |
| Del Norte County, CACrescent City rents · Run a deal | 0.41% | +0.9% | +8.4% | $342,000 | $1,406 | 0.61% | 27,107 |
| Stanislaus County, CAModesto rents · Run a deal | 0.40% | +1.4% | +7.1% | $450,100 | $1,803 | 0.71% | 553,990 |
| Tehama County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.40% | +2.5% | +5.1% | $339,600 | $1,361 | 0.62% | 65,167 |
| Santa Barbara County, CASanta Barbara rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +3.3% | +9.3% | $790,700 | $3,106 | 0.65% | 443,701 |
| Merced County, CAMerced rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +0.8% | +7.8% | $391,800 | $1,517 | 0.67% | 290,201 |
| Napa County, CANapa rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | -1.0% | +4.9% | $869,500 | $3,375 | 0.69% | 134,869 |
| Yuba County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +0.6% | +6.6% | $412,300 | $1,600 | 0.74% | 84,507 |
| Amador County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +2.0% | +5.0% | $449,800 | $1,765 | 0.71% | 41,428 |
| Glenn County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +6.9% | +5.3% | $352,400 | $1,361 | 0.64% | 28,494 |
| Plumas County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.39% | +12.7% | +6.9% | $360,200 | $1,422 | 0.70% | 19,423 |
| Riverside County, CARiverside rents · Run a deal | 0.38% | +1.3% | +9.1% | $557,300 | $2,103 | 0.78% | 2,478,600 |
| San Joaquin County, CAStockton rents · Run a deal | 0.38% | -0.9% | +6.8% | $530,700 | $2,015 | 0.75% | 797,334 |
| Solano County, CAVallejo rents · Run a deal | 0.38% | -0.3% | +5.3% | $617,700 | $2,342 | 0.75% | 451,918 |
| San Benito County, CAHollister rents · Run a deal | 0.38% | +0.8% | +5.3% | $793,400 | $3,004 | 0.81% | 67,290 |
| Mariposa County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.38% | +9.9% | +6.4% | $387,900 | $1,486 | 0.61% | 17,082 |
| Madera County, CAMadera rents · Run a deal | 0.37% | +1.2% | +8.4% | $393,200 | $1,460 | 0.70% | 160,940 |
| Sutter County, CAYuba City rents · Run a deal | 0.37% | +0.6% | +6.3% | $433,500 | $1,600 | 0.75% | 98,857 |
| Tuolumne County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.37% | 0.0% | +5.3% | $433,200 | $1,603 | 0.66% | 54,498 |
| Los Angeles County, CALos Angeles rents · Run a deal | 0.36% | +1.7% | +7.5% | $834,200 | $2,964 | 0.68% | 9,808,667 |
| Butte County, CAChico rents · Run a deal | 0.36% | +0.5% | +4.3% | $424,700 | $1,509 | 0.69% | 207,929 |
| Sonoma County, CASanta Rosa rents · Run a deal | 0.35% | +0.5% | +4.6% | $815,500 | $2,819 | 0.70% | 485,040 |
| Humboldt County, CAEureka rents · Run a deal | 0.35% | -0.2% | +6.1% | $446,900 | $1,554 | 0.64% | 134,541 |
| Trinity County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.35% | — | — | $325,800 | $1,153 | 0.58% | 15,860 |
| Yolo County, CAWest Sacramento rents · Run a deal | 0.34% | -0.9% | +5.4% | $620,700 | $2,135 | 0.77% | 220,564 |
| Calaveras County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.34% | -1.0% | +5.6% | $457,200 | $1,533 | 0.73% | 46,248 |
| Colusa County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.34% | +1.7% | +6.3% | $393,400 | $1,344 | 0.62% | 21,984 |
| San Diego County, CASan Diego rents · Run a deal | 0.33% | +0.7% | +9.0% | $854,700 | $2,823 | 0.68% | 3,288,774 |
| San Luis Obispo County, CASan Luis Obispo rents · Run a deal | 0.33% | +3.3% | +8.1% | $824,700 | $2,720 | 0.68% | 281,555 |
| Mendocino County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.33% | +0.7% | +4.2% | $512,200 | $1,683 | 0.69% | 90,244 |
| Orange County, CAAnaheim rents · Run a deal | 0.32% | +3.3% | +8.9% | $962,600 | $3,057 | 0.66% | 3,165,820 |
| Contra Costa County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.32% | 0.0% | +5.5% | $866,800 | $2,805 | 0.83% | 1,165,012 |
| Placer County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.32% | +0.9% | +5.9% | $688,100 | $2,201 | 0.84% | 419,156 |
| El Dorado County, CASouth Lake Tahoe rents · Run a deal | 0.32% | +0.4% | +5.7% | $679,900 | $2,201 | 0.70% | 192,662 |
| Monterey County, CASalinas rents · Run a deal | 0.31% | +1.3% | +7.5% | $781,000 | $2,416 | 0.63% | 437,613 |
| Nevada County, CATruckee rents · Run a deal | 0.30% | +0.9% | +4.8% | $621,800 | $1,885 | 0.75% | 102,481 |
| Mono County, CACalifornia rents · Run a deal | 0.30% | +7.4% | +8.4% | $639,400 | $1,927 | 0.65% | 13,148 |
| Ventura County, CAVentura rents · Run a deal | 0.29% | +2.0% | +7.6% | $822,700 | $2,424 | 0.68% | 837,469 |
Home prices
Home prices in California rose 28% over the 5 years to Q2 2026.
- 1 year
- +1%
- 5 years
- +28%
- 10 years
- +76%
From the FHFA House Price Index for California (state level), updated Mar 31, 2026. It tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, so it shows the area's trend, not what any one home is worth. See what local prices suggest your rental is worth.
Keep looking
How to read this
Use this to shortlist, not to decide. These are county-wide figures, and a single county can hold very different neighborhoods. Check a real deal with the rental cash flow calculator.
Rent-to-price is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value. It's a rough comparison between counties. The two figures describe different homes, and the home value lags current prices, so it can look better than today's market in places where prices rose quickly.
2-bed rent is HUD's Fair Market Rent (fiscal year from Oct 1, 2026): the 40th percentile for recent movers, including utilities. HUD often uses one figure across a whole metro area, so neighboring counties can match.
Home value and population are Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates through 2024. Home values are what owners report. Counties under 10,000 people aren't listed.
Prices are the FHFA House Price Index through 2025: the latest year's change, and the average yearly change over five years. FHFA calls its county index developmental, and it doesn't cover every county.
Property tax is median taxes paid divided by median home value, from the Census. It reflects what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners, as in Florida and California.
People and jobs: income, vacant homes (seasonal homes count as vacant, which can look high in vacation areas) and renters are Census 5-year estimates. Population growth compares two Census releases five years apart. Rent ÷ income is a year of the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of median household income. Unemployment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics yearly average for 2025.
Frequently asked questions
- Which California county has the highest rent-to-price ratio?
- Lake County, at 0.50%: a 2-bedroom rent of $1,616 against a median home value of $324,300. It's a rough comparison, and a high ratio can come with slower growth or weaker demand, so check the other columns too.
- Where have California home prices grown fastest?
- Imperial County, at an average of +9.8% a year over five years, on the FHFA House Price Index. Past growth doesn't predict future growth.
- Which California county has the lowest property tax?
- Trinity County, at about 0.58% of home value, based on what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners.
- Where is the California population growing fastest?
- Trinity County, at +4.5% a year, comparing two Census releases five years apart. These are estimates, and they're less exact for small places.
- How does California compare with the rest of the US?
- Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.37% in California and 0.52% nationwide. The ratio is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value.
- Are home prices going up in California?
- Home prices in California rose 28% over the 5 years to Q2 2026. In the latest year (to Q2 2026) they rose 1%. These figures come from the FHFA House Price Index for California (state level), which tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes. It shows the trend for the area, not what any one home is worth.