Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Most Expensive Counties to Own a Home Outright in California
The counties where a paid-off house still costs the most to keep. For retirees on a fixed income this figure matters more than the purchase price, because it never goes away and it rises with assessments.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
California ranked
| # | County | Monthly if paid off | Median home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo County | $2,478 | $1,494,500 | 0.613% |
| 2 | Marin County | $2,444 | $1,390,000 | 0.719% |
| 3 | Santa Clara County | $2,417 | $1,382,800 | 0.706% |
| 4 | San Francisco County | $2,386 | $1,380,500 | 0.682% |
| 5 | Alameda County | $1,954 | $1,057,400 | 0.762% |
| 6 | Santa Cruz County | $1,766 | $1,015,200 | 0.621% |
| 7 | Orange County | $1,650 | $915,500 | 0.666% |
| 8 | Contra Costa County | $1,633 | $830,800 | 0.831% |
| 9 | Napa County | $1,553 | $838,800 | 0.696% |
| 10 | San Benito County | $1,486 | $751,500 | 0.809% |
| 11 | San Diego County | $1,481 | $791,600 | 0.700% |
| 12 | Sonoma County | $1,472 | $779,000 | 0.716% |
| 13 | Los Angeles County | $1,464 | $783,300 | 0.694% |
| 14 | San Luis Obispo County | $1,461 | $777,200 | 0.704% |
| 15 | Ventura County | $1,440 | $768,400 | 0.693% |
| 16 | Santa Barbara County | $1,370 | $735,700 | 0.662% |
| 17 | Placer County | $1,355 | $658,800 | 0.850% |
| 18 | Monterey County | $1,350 | $723,100 | 0.661% |
| 19 | El Dorado County | $1,246 | $640,500 | 0.704% |
| 20 | Nevada County | $1,205 | $602,800 | 0.741% |
| 21 | Yolo County | $1,204 | $593,800 | 0.769% |
| 22 | Solano County | $1,187 | $589,600 | 0.748% |
| 23 | Riverside County | $1,091 | $510,300 | 0.821% |
| 24 | Mono County | $1,073 | $514,300 | 0.765% |
| 25 | Sacramento County | $1,044 | $498,900 | 0.755% |
| 26 | San Joaquin County | $1,041 | $494,500 | 0.765% |
| 27 | Mendocino County | $999 | $486,000 | 0.695% |
| 28 | San Bernardino County | $985 | $475,000 | 0.704% |
| 29 | Alpine County | $963 | $466,100 | 0.684% |
| 30 | Calaveras County | $937 | $441,800 | 0.714% |
| 31 | Stanislaus County | $911 | $426,600 | 0.709% |
| 32 | Amador County | $900 | $422,800 | 0.695% |
| 33 | Sutter County | $891 | $399,400 | 0.779% |
| 34 | Humboldt County | $879 | $418,800 | 0.652% |
| 35 | Butte County | $876 | $408,700 | 0.690% |
| 36 | Tuolumne County | $867 | $406,200 | 0.674% |
| 37 | Yuba County | $851 | $380,000 | 0.754% |
| 38 | Fresno County | $821 | $362,600 | 0.746% |
| 39 | Madera County | $815 | $367,700 | 0.700% |
| 40 | Colusa County | $814 | $375,100 | 0.661% |
| 41 | Merced County | $808 | $368,400 | 0.675% |
| 42 | Mariposa County | $794 | $358,000 | 0.681% |
| 43 | Shasta County | $784 | $347,200 | 0.703% |
| 44 | Sierra County | $783 | $334,100 | 0.775% |
| 45 | Kern County | $780 | $310,600 | 0.912% |
| 46 | Inyo County | $771 | $338,400 | 0.707% |
| 47 | Plumas County | $757 | $327,400 | 0.721% |
| 48 | Glenn County | $754 | $338,400 | 0.647% |
| 49 | Lake County | $741 | $316,800 | 0.724% |
| 50 | Kings County | $731 | $305,700 | 0.751% |
| 51 | Tulare County | $721 | $303,000 | 0.730% |
| 52 | Tehama County | $715 | $315,600 | 0.632% |
| 53 | Trinity County | $710 | $329,000 | 0.539% |
| 54 | Del Norte County | $709 | $319,600 | 0.586% |
| 55 | Imperial County | $709 | $279,500 | 0.840% |
| 56 | Siskiyou County | $675 | $284,500 | 0.661% |
| 57 | Lassen County | $649 | $259,500 | 0.720% |
| 58 | Modoc County | $567 | $212,000 | 0.682% |
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
Most Expensive Counties to Own a Home Outright across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in California