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 | $71,500 | $1,674 | $212,000 |
| 2 | Lassen County | $86,000 | $2,003 | $259,500 |
| 3 | Siskiyou County | $92,500 | $2,158 | $284,500 |
| 4 | Imperial County | $93,000 | $2,166 | $279,500 |
| 5 | Tulare County | $98,500 | $2,300 | $303,000 |
| 6 | Kings County | $99,500 | $2,324 | $305,700 |
| 7 | Tehama County | $101,000 | $2,360 | $315,600 |
| 8 | Del Norte County | $102,000 | $2,375 | $319,600 |
| 9 | Lake County | $102,500 | $2,392 | $316,800 |
| 10 | Kern County | $103,000 | $2,399 | $310,600 |
| 11 | Trinity County | $104,000 | $2,425 | $329,000 |
| 12 | Plumas County | $105,500 | $2,464 | $327,400 |
| 13 | Glenn County | $108,000 | $2,517 | $338,400 |
| 14 | Sierra County | $108,000 | $2,524 | $334,100 |
| 15 | Inyo County | $108,500 | $2,534 | $338,400 |
| 16 | Shasta County | $111,000 | $2,593 | $347,200 |
| 17 | Mariposa County | $114,000 | $2,659 | $358,000 |
| 18 | Fresno County | $116,000 | $2,710 | $362,600 |
| 19 | Madera County | $117,000 | $2,731 | $367,700 |
| 20 | Merced County | $117,000 | $2,728 | $368,400 |
| 21 | Colusa County | $118,500 | $2,768 | $375,100 |
| 22 | Yuba County | $121,500 | $2,831 | $380,000 |
| 23 | Sutter County | $127,500 | $2,971 | $399,400 |
| 24 | Tuolumne County | $128,000 | $2,982 | $406,200 |
| 25 | Butte County | $129,000 | $3,005 | $408,700 |
| 26 | Humboldt County | $131,000 | $3,059 | $418,800 |
| 27 | Amador County | $133,000 | $3,102 | $422,800 |
| 28 | Stanislaus County | $134,000 | $3,132 | $426,600 |
| 29 | Calaveras County | $138,500 | $3,237 | $441,800 |
| 30 | Alpine County | $145,500 | $3,390 | $466,100 |
| 31 | San Bernardino County | $148,000 | $3,458 | $475,000 |
| 32 | Mendocino County | $151,000 | $3,529 | $486,000 |
| 33 | San Joaquin County | $155,000 | $3,615 | $494,500 |
| 34 | Sacramento County | $156,000 | $3,641 | $498,900 |
| 35 | Mono County | $160,500 | $3,750 | $514,300 |
| 36 | Riverside County | $160,500 | $3,747 | $510,300 |
| 37 | Solano County | $182,500 | $4,255 | $589,600 |
| 38 | Yolo County | $184,000 | $4,294 | $593,800 |
| 39 | Nevada County | $186,000 | $4,342 | $602,800 |
| 40 | El Dorado County | $196,000 | $4,578 | $640,500 |
| 41 | Placer County | $205,000 | $4,782 | $658,800 |
| 42 | Monterey County | $219,000 | $5,112 | $723,100 |
| 43 | Santa Barbara County | $222,500 | $5,197 | $735,700 |
| 44 | San Benito County | $231,000 | $5,395 | $751,500 |
| 45 | Ventura County | $233,000 | $5,437 | $768,400 |
| 46 | San Luis Obispo County | $236,000 | $5,504 | $777,200 |
| 47 | Sonoma County | $236,500 | $5,524 | $779,000 |
| 48 | Los Angeles County | $237,500 | $5,538 | $783,300 |
| 49 | San Diego County | $240,000 | $5,599 | $791,600 |
| 50 | Napa County | $253,500 | $5,915 | $838,800 |
| 51 | Contra Costa County | $255,000 | $5,954 | $830,800 |
| 52 | Orange County | $275,000 | $6,411 | $915,500 |
| 53 | Santa Cruz County | $302,000 | $7,045 | $1,015,200 |
| 54 | Alameda County | $319,500 | $7,452 | $1,057,400 |
| 55 | San Francisco County | $410,000 | $9,562 | $1,380,500 |
| 56 | Santa Clara County | $411,500 | $9,605 | $1,382,800 |
| 57 | Marin County | $414,500 | $9,669 | $1,390,000 |
| 58 | San Mateo County | $439,000 | $10,246 | $1,494,500 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 6.76%. 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