California.
2nd most expensive state. Typical home $761,538 (+0.6% in a year), estimated payment $4,197 a month. As of Sep 2026.
to buy the typical home at today's mortgage rate — +$1,997 (+100%) since Jan 2020.
- 1 year
- Up $4,905 +1%
- $756,633$761,538 since Sep 2025
- 5 years
- Up $89,315 +13%
- $672,224$761,538 since Sep 2021
- 10 years
- Up $318,800 +72%
- $442,738$761,538 since Sep 2016
Monthly payment to buy the typical home
Home value × that month's 30-year mortgage rate, 20% down, principal and interest. This is the line households feel: prices and rates compound each other.
- California$3,997
- United States$1,922
At the last five years' pace, a typical home here doubles in price every 28 years.
Typical home values in California rose 0.6% over the past year — slower than the nation's +1.2%.
Buying the typical California home now takes 51% of the median household income ($99,122/yr, ACS 2020–2024) — the standard affordability line is 30%.
Share of median income needed to buy
Monthly payment for the typical home against the local median household income. Income is an annual survey, stepped — the saw-teeth are survey years, not markets.
- California48.39%
- United States28.57%
California home values
Zillow Home Value Index against the national figure. Mid-tier homes, smoothed and seasonally adjusted.
- California$761,538
- United States$366,157
Metros in California
Largest first, by population. Zillow publishes rent for fewer metros than home values, so a dash means no series — not a market at zero.
| # | Metro activate to sort by Metro | Rent activate to sort by Rent | 1-yr Δ activate to sort by 1-yr Δ | Home value sorted descending, activate to sort ascending | 1-yr Δ activate to sort by 1-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $3,812 | +8.3% | $1,523,615 | +0.2% |
| 2 | Santa Cruz | $3,469 | +3.7% | $1,136,154 | +4.8% |
| 3 | San Francisco | $3,445 | +11.8% | $1,120,379 | +3.1% |
| 4 | Santa Maria | $3,279 | +2.8% | $988,948 | +4.3% |
| 5 | Los Angeles | $2,929 | +1.8% | $950,020 | +1.3% |
| 6 | San Diego | $2,967 | +2.2% | $926,961 | +0.8% |
| 7 | San Luis Obispo | $2,802 | +2.9% | $897,657 | +2.0% |
| 8 | Oxnard | $2,955 | +1.9% | $869,803 | +1.1% |
| 9 | Salinas | $2,771 | +0.8% | $841,133 | +1.2% |
| 10 | Santa Rosa | $2,666 | +3.9% | $782,966 | +0.8% |
| 11 | Riverside | $2,533 | +2.9% | $580,321 | +0.6% |
| 12 | Sacramento | $2,269 | +1.8% | $572,813 | +0.0% |
| 13 | Vallejo | $2,464 | +2.5% | $571,154 | -0.9% |
| 14 | Stockton | $2,431 | +1.9% | $519,775 | -2.1% |
| 15 | Modesto | $2,068 | +1.5% | $461,114 | +0.2% |
| 16 | Yuba City | $2,033 | -0.6% | $425,172 | -0.2% |
| 17 | Madera | $2,135 | +0.8% | $421,924 | +1.7% |
| 18 | Merced | $2,059 | +1.1% | $413,645 | -0.3% |
| 19 | Fresno | $2,052 | +3.5% | $404,052 | +1.1% |
| 20 | Chico | $1,549 | +2.1% | $394,069 | +0.2% |
| 21 | El Centro | $1,803 | +6.2% | $382,009 | +4.7% |
| 22 | Redding | $1,652 | +3.9% | $367,694 | +0.0% |
| 23 | Hanford | $1,937 | +3.6% | $363,952 | +3.0% |
| 24 | Visalia | $1,734 | +2.5% | $360,865 | +1.9% |
| 25 | Bakersfield | $1,822 | +3.0% | $360,210 | +0.0% |
Go deeper: every zip in California.