Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Lowest Salary Needed to Buy a Home in California
The counties where an ordinary income still buys the median home outright by the 28% rule, with the whole monthly bill counted: tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance included, not just the loan payment.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
California ranked
| # | County | Income needed | Monthly to own | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modoc County | $73,000 | $1,703 | $212,000 |
| 2 | Lassen County | $87,500 | $2,045 | $259,500 |
| 3 | Siskiyou County | $94,500 | $2,207 | $284,500 |
| 4 | Imperial County | $95,000 | $2,213 | $279,500 |
| 5 | Tulare County | $101,000 | $2,353 | $303,000 |
| 6 | Kings County | $102,000 | $2,378 | $305,700 |
| 7 | Tehama County | $103,500 | $2,416 | $315,600 |
| 8 | Del Norte County | $104,000 | $2,432 | $319,600 |
| 9 | Kern County | $105,000 | $2,454 | $310,600 |
| 10 | Lake County | $105,000 | $2,449 | $316,800 |
| 11 | Trinity County | $106,500 | $2,484 | $329,000 |
| 12 | Plumas County | $108,000 | $2,523 | $327,400 |
| 13 | Glenn County | $110,500 | $2,580 | $338,400 |
| 14 | Sierra County | $111,000 | $2,585 | $334,100 |
| 15 | Inyo County | $111,500 | $2,596 | $338,400 |
| 16 | Shasta County | $114,000 | $2,657 | $347,200 |
| 17 | Mariposa County | $117,000 | $2,726 | $358,000 |
| 18 | Fresno County | $119,000 | $2,778 | $362,600 |
| 19 | Madera County | $120,000 | $2,800 | $367,700 |
| 20 | Merced County | $120,000 | $2,797 | $368,400 |
| 21 | Colusa County | $121,500 | $2,840 | $375,100 |
| 22 | Yuba County | $124,500 | $2,904 | $380,000 |
| 23 | Sutter County | $130,500 | $3,049 | $399,400 |
| 24 | Tuolumne County | $131,000 | $3,062 | $406,200 |
| 25 | Butte County | $132,000 | $3,085 | $408,700 |
| 26 | Humboldt County | $134,500 | $3,142 | $418,800 |
| 27 | Amador County | $136,500 | $3,185 | $422,800 |
| 28 | Stanislaus County | $138,000 | $3,217 | $426,600 |
| 29 | Calaveras County | $142,500 | $3,326 | $441,800 |
| 30 | Alpine County | $149,500 | $3,485 | $466,100 |
| 31 | San Bernardino County | $152,500 | $3,555 | $475,000 |
| 32 | Mendocino County | $155,500 | $3,629 | $486,000 |
| 33 | San Joaquin County | $159,500 | $3,718 | $494,500 |
| 34 | Sacramento County | $160,500 | $3,745 | $498,900 |
| 35 | Riverside County | $165,000 | $3,853 | $510,300 |
| 36 | Mono County | $165,500 | $3,858 | $514,300 |
| 37 | Solano County | $188,000 | $4,382 | $589,600 |
| 38 | Yolo County | $189,500 | $4,422 | $593,800 |
| 39 | Nevada County | $191,500 | $4,472 | $602,800 |
| 40 | El Dorado County | $202,000 | $4,718 | $640,500 |
| 41 | Placer County | $211,000 | $4,927 | $658,800 |
| 42 | Monterey County | $226,000 | $5,273 | $723,100 |
| 43 | Santa Barbara County | $230,000 | $5,362 | $735,700 |
| 44 | San Benito County | $238,500 | $5,564 | $751,500 |
| 45 | Ventura County | $240,500 | $5,610 | $768,400 |
| 46 | San Luis Obispo County | $243,500 | $5,679 | $777,200 |
| 47 | Sonoma County | $244,500 | $5,699 | $779,000 |
| 48 | Los Angeles County | $245,000 | $5,715 | $783,300 |
| 49 | San Diego County | $247,500 | $5,778 | $791,600 |
| 50 | Napa County | $261,500 | $6,106 | $838,800 |
| 51 | Contra Costa County | $263,500 | $6,144 | $830,800 |
| 52 | Orange County | $284,000 | $6,622 | $915,500 |
| 53 | Santa Cruz County | $312,000 | $7,281 | $1,015,200 |
| 54 | Alameda County | $330,000 | $7,699 | $1,057,400 |
| 55 | San Francisco County | $424,000 | $9,893 | $1,380,500 |
| 56 | Santa Clara County | $426,000 | $9,937 | $1,382,800 |
| 57 | Marin County | $428,500 | $10,003 | $1,390,000 |
| 58 | San Mateo County | $454,500 | $10,606 | $1,494,500 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.24%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Lowest Salary Needed to Buy a Home across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in California