Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Lowest Price-to-Rent Ratios in California
Price-to-rent is the median home value divided by a year of median gross rent, so a ratio of 12 means the house costs about twelve years of rent. Low ratios are where buying is cheapest against the local alternative. It is the one comparison on this site that assumes nothing about mortgage rates, down payment or how long you stay, which is why it travels well between counties. Both figures are Census five-year estimates for the same period, and rent here includes the utilities a tenant pays.
California ranked
| # | County | Price-to-rent | Median home | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake County | 20.4 yrs | $316,800 | $1,292 |
| 2 | Lassen County | 20.7 yrs | $259,500 | $1,043 |
| 3 | Kings County | 20.7 yrs | $305,700 | $1,228 |
| 4 | Tulare County | 20.9 yrs | $303,000 | $1,206 |
| 5 | Kern County | 21.2 yrs | $310,600 | $1,220 |
| 6 | Modoc County | 21.6 yrs | $212,000 | $818 |
| 7 | Del Norte County | 22.5 yrs | $319,600 | $1,182 |
| 8 | Tehama County | 22.7 yrs | $315,600 | $1,159 |
| 9 | Siskiyou County | 22.7 yrs | $284,500 | $1,043 |
| 10 | Calaveras County | 22.8 yrs | $441,800 | $1,615 |
| 11 | Shasta County | 22.8 yrs | $347,200 | $1,267 |
| 12 | Imperial County | 23.0 yrs | $279,500 | $1,012 |
| 13 | San Bernardino County | 23.2 yrs | $475,000 | $1,706 |
| 14 | Fresno County | 23.2 yrs | $362,600 | $1,300 |
| 15 | Stanislaus County | 23.3 yrs | $426,600 | $1,528 |
| 16 | Riverside County | 23.4 yrs | $510,300 | $1,814 |
| 17 | Madera County | 23.4 yrs | $367,700 | $1,307 |
| 18 | Mariposa County | 23.5 yrs | $358,000 | $1,268 |
| 19 | Solano County | 23.5 yrs | $589,600 | $2,088 |
| 20 | Sierra County | 23.6 yrs | $334,100 | $1,181 |
| 21 | Merced County | 23.9 yrs | $368,400 | $1,284 |
| 22 | Sutter County | 24.4 yrs | $399,400 | $1,364 |
| 23 | Sacramento County | 24.4 yrs | $498,900 | $1,702 |
| 24 | Inyo County | 24.7 yrs | $338,400 | $1,140 |
| 25 | Butte County | 24.9 yrs | $408,700 | $1,369 |
| 26 | San Joaquin County | 25.2 yrs | $494,500 | $1,633 |
| 27 | Amador County | 25.5 yrs | $422,800 | $1,380 |
| 28 | Glenn County | 25.6 yrs | $338,400 | $1,103 |
| 29 | Yuba County | 26.2 yrs | $380,000 | $1,209 |
| 30 | Plumas County | 26.4 yrs | $327,400 | $1,034 |
| 31 | Mono County | 26.9 yrs | $514,300 | $1,593 |
| 32 | Tuolumne County | 27.1 yrs | $406,200 | $1,247 |
| 33 | Colusa County | 27.4 yrs | $375,100 | $1,139 |
| 34 | Placer County | 27.6 yrs | $658,800 | $1,991 |
| 35 | Humboldt County | 27.9 yrs | $418,800 | $1,249 |
| 36 | Yolo County | 28.2 yrs | $593,800 | $1,757 |
| 37 | Ventura County | 28.5 yrs | $768,400 | $2,248 |
| 38 | Trinity County | 29.7 yrs | $329,000 | $922 |
| 39 | Contra Costa County | 29.8 yrs | $830,800 | $2,322 |
| 40 | Santa Barbara County | 29.9 yrs | $735,700 | $2,050 |
| 41 | Monterey County | 30.2 yrs | $723,100 | $1,995 |
| 42 | Mendocino County | 30.6 yrs | $486,000 | $1,325 |
| 43 | San Diego County | 30.6 yrs | $791,600 | $2,154 |
| 44 | Nevada County | 30.7 yrs | $602,800 | $1,635 |
| 45 | Sonoma County | 31.0 yrs | $779,000 | $2,093 |
| 46 | Orange County | 32.4 yrs | $915,500 | $2,352 |
| 47 | San Benito County | 32.6 yrs | $751,500 | $1,922 |
| 48 | Napa County | 32.6 yrs | $838,800 | $2,141 |
| 49 | El Dorado County | 32.8 yrs | $640,500 | $1,626 |
| 50 | San Luis Obispo County | 34.1 yrs | $777,200 | $1,899 |
| 51 | Los Angeles County | 34.5 yrs | $783,300 | $1,893 |
| 52 | Alameda County | 38.0 yrs | $1,057,400 | $2,318 |
| 53 | Santa Cruz County | 39.0 yrs | $1,015,200 | $2,172 |
| 54 | Santa Clara County | 41.0 yrs | $1,382,800 | $2,814 |
| 55 | San Mateo County | 43.0 yrs | $1,494,500 | $2,893 |
| 56 | Marin County | 44.8 yrs | $1,390,000 | $2,584 |
| 57 | San Francisco County | 47.6 yrs | $1,380,500 | $2,419 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. 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 Price-to-Rent Ratios across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in California