Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting in California
Counties where the full monthly cost of owning the median home comes in below median rent, even after tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance. These are the places where buying is cheapest relative to the local rental market.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
California ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by owning | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modoc County | $-881 | $818 | $1,699 |
| 2 | Lassen County | $-992 | $1,043 | $2,035 |
| 3 | Tulare County | $-1,132 | $1,206 | $2,338 |
| 4 | Kings County | $-1,135 | $1,228 | $2,363 |
| 5 | Lake County | $-1,141 | $1,292 | $2,433 |
| 6 | Siskiyou County | $-1,151 | $1,043 | $2,194 |
| 7 | Imperial County | $-1,189 | $1,012 | $2,201 |
| 8 | Kern County | $-1,218 | $1,220 | $2,438 |
| 9 | Del Norte County | $-1,233 | $1,182 | $2,415 |
| 10 | Tehama County | $-1,241 | $1,159 | $2,400 |
| 11 | Shasta County | $-1,370 | $1,267 | $2,637 |
| 12 | Sierra County | $-1,386 | $1,181 | $2,567 |
| 13 | Mariposa County | $-1,437 | $1,268 | $2,705 |
| 14 | Inyo County | $-1,437 | $1,140 | $2,577 |
| 15 | Fresno County | $-1,457 | $1,300 | $2,757 |
| 16 | Glenn County | $-1,458 | $1,103 | $2,561 |
| 17 | Madera County | $-1,471 | $1,307 | $2,778 |
| 18 | Plumas County | $-1,471 | $1,034 | $2,505 |
| 19 | Merced County | $-1,491 | $1,284 | $2,775 |
| 20 | Trinity County | $-1,544 | $922 | $2,466 |
| 21 | Sutter County | $-1,659 | $1,364 | $3,023 |
| 22 | Stanislaus County | $-1,660 | $1,528 | $3,188 |
| 23 | Yuba County | $-1,671 | $1,209 | $2,880 |
| 24 | Colusa County | $-1,678 | $1,139 | $2,817 |
| 25 | Calaveras County | $-1,680 | $1,615 | $3,295 |
| 26 | Butte County | $-1,689 | $1,369 | $3,058 |
| 27 | Amador County | $-1,777 | $1,380 | $3,157 |
| 28 | Tuolumne County | $-1,788 | $1,247 | $3,035 |
| 29 | San Bernardino County | $-1,815 | $1,706 | $3,521 |
| 30 | Humboldt County | $-1,865 | $1,249 | $3,114 |
| 31 | Riverside County | $-2,001 | $1,814 | $3,815 |
| 32 | Sacramento County | $-2,005 | $1,702 | $3,707 |
| 33 | San Joaquin County | $-2,048 | $1,633 | $3,681 |
| 34 | Mono County | $-2,226 | $1,593 | $3,819 |
| 35 | Solano County | $-2,247 | $2,088 | $4,335 |
| 36 | Mendocino County | $-2,268 | $1,325 | $3,593 |
| 37 | Yolo County | $-2,617 | $1,757 | $4,374 |
| 38 | Nevada County | $-2,788 | $1,635 | $4,423 |
| 39 | Placer County | $-2,881 | $1,991 | $4,872 |
| 40 | El Dorado County | $-3,039 | $1,626 | $4,665 |
| 41 | Monterey County | $-3,215 | $1,995 | $5,210 |
| 42 | Santa Barbara County | $-3,248 | $2,050 | $5,298 |
| 43 | Ventura County | $-3,294 | $2,248 | $5,542 |
| 44 | Sonoma County | $-3,538 | $2,093 | $5,631 |
| 45 | San Diego County | $-3,553 | $2,154 | $5,707 |
| 46 | San Benito County | $-3,576 | $1,922 | $5,498 |
| 47 | San Luis Obispo County | $-3,711 | $1,899 | $5,610 |
| 48 | Contra Costa County | $-3,747 | $2,322 | $6,069 |
| 49 | Los Angeles County | $-3,753 | $1,893 | $5,646 |
| 50 | Napa County | $-3,890 | $2,141 | $6,031 |
| 51 | Orange County | $-4,185 | $2,352 | $6,537 |
| 52 | Santa Cruz County | $-5,013 | $2,172 | $7,185 |
| 53 | Alameda County | $-5,281 | $2,318 | $7,599 |
| 54 | Santa Clara County | $-6,985 | $2,814 | $9,799 |
| 55 | Marin County | $-7,280 | $2,584 | $9,864 |
| 56 | San Francisco County | $-7,337 | $2,419 | $9,756 |
| 57 | San Mateo County | $-7,563 | $2,893 | $10,456 |
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
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in California