Housing affordability index in California
Housing affordability index in California: puts one number on the housing question: 46.6% of the state's median household income goes to principal and interest on a median-priced home at today's rate.
30-year fixed rate used: 6.76% (observed 2026-09-10, FRED MORTGAGE30US).
Share of income
46.6%
principal + interest
Monthly payment
$3,683
on a $709,046 home
Median income
$94,761
households, ACS 5-year
| Rank | County | Share of income | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco County | 61.5% | $7,005 |
| 2 | San Mateo County | 59.9% | $7,486 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz County | 56.8% | $4,941 |
| 4 | Marin County | 56.7% | $6,710 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County | 54.7% | $3,803 |
| 6 | Santa Clara County | 53.4% | $6,840 |
| 7 | Alameda County | 50.8% | $5,190 |
| 8 | San Luis Obispo County | 50.2% | $3,775 |
| 9 | Orange County | 49.2% | $4,482 |
| 10 | Santa Barbara County | 48.3% | $3,713 |
| 11 | Mendocino County | 47.1% | $2,409 |
| 12 | Sonoma County | 47% | $3,888 |
| 13 | Monterey County | 46.8% | $3,551 |
| 14 | Napa County | 46.8% | $4,127 |
| 15 | San Diego County | 46.6% | $3,767 |
| 16 | Nevada County | 43.9% | $2,907 |
| 17 | Ventura County | 43.9% | $3,735 |
| 18 | Trinity County | 43% | $1,694 |
| 19 | San Benito County | 42% | $3,652 |
| 20 | Humboldt County | 41.6% | $2,005 |
| 21 | Contra Costa County | 40.9% | $4,089 |
| 22 | Yolo County | 40.7% | $2,884 |
| 23 | Mono County | 37.7% | $2,580 |
| 24 | El Dorado County | 37.5% | $3,104 |
| 25 | Placer County | 35.7% | $3,257 |
| 26 | San Bernardino County | 35.3% | $2,275 |
| 27 | Solano County | 35.3% | $2,852 |
| 28 | Butte County | 35% | $1,930 |
| 29 | Mariposa County | 34.9% | $1,745 |
| 30 | San Joaquin County | 34.8% | $2,400 |
| 31 | Sacramento County | 34.6% | $2,420 |
| 32 | Amador County | 34.1% | $2,128 |
| 33 | Riverside County | 34.1% | $2,404 |
| 34 | Tuolumne County | 33.4% | $1,962 |
| 35 | Merced County | 32.9% | $1,778 |
| 36 | Yuba County | 32.8% | $1,821 |
| 37 | Stanislaus County | 32.7% | $2,043 |
| 38 | Calaveras County | 32.5% | $2,099 |
| 39 | Lake County | 32.3% | $1,513 |
| 40 | Colusa County | 32.2% | $1,870 |
| 41 | Sutter County | 32.2% | $1,950 |
| 42 | Inyo County | 32% | $1,693 |
| 43 | Fresno County | 31.1% | $1,757 |
| 44 | Tehama County | 30.7% | $1,508 |
| 45 | Siskiyou County | 30.1% | $1,352 |
| 46 | Shasta County | 29.9% | $1,701 |
| 47 | Imperial County | 29.6% | $1,330 |
| 48 | Sierra County | 29.5% | $1,503 |
| 49 | Del Norte County | 28.8% | $1,467 |
| 50 | Glenn County | 28.8% | $1,534 |
| 51 | Madera County | 28.8% | $1,768 |
| 52 | Alpine County | 28.6% | $2,410 |
| 53 | Plumas County | 28.5% | $1,611 |
| 54 | Kern County | 27.6% | $1,469 |
| 55 | Tulare County | 27.2% | $1,459 |
| 56 | Kings County | 25.6% | $1,462 |
| 57 | Lassen County | 24.4% | $1,211 |
| 58 | Modoc County | 21% | $960 |
Methodology
Every county figure for California uses the county's own median home value and median household income from the Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, a 20% deposit, and the current 30-year fixed rate from FRED (MORTGAGE30US) amortised over 30 years.
The share shown is annualised principal and interest divided by median household income. Property tax, insurance and HOA dues are excluded so the comparison between counties stays like-for-like.
Counties without both a published home value and a published income are left out entirely rather than filled with an estimate, so the table is shorter than the county list in some states.
Sources: FRED series MORTGAGE30US, Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2022.