Most affordable cities for home buyers in California.
Affordability = how many years of household income buys the median home. This ranks California cities by price-to-income ratio (lower = more affordable).
Last updated
California ranking
50 cities ranked. Click any row for the matching local page.
| # | City | Price-to-income ratio | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Palisades | 5.8x income | 37 | View → |
| 2 | Newport Coast | 5.8x income | 36 | View → |
| 3 | Belvedere Tiburon | 6.1x income | 32 | View → |
| 4 | La Canada Flintridge | 6.1x income | 31 | View → |
| 5 | San Marino | 6.1x income | 31 | View → |
| 6 | Malibu | 6.2x income | 30 | View → |
| 7 | Orinda | 6.3x income | 28 | View → |
| 8 | Los Altos | 6.4x income | 27 | View → |
| 9 | Alamo | 6.4x income | 27 | View → |
| 10 | Corona Del Mar | 6.5x income | 25 | View → |
| 11 | Palos Verdes Peninsula | 6.6x income | 23 | View → |
| 12 | Del Mar | 6.7x income | 21 | View → |
| 13 | Saratoga | 6.8x income | 20 | View → |
| 14 | Calabasas | 6.8x income | 20 | View → |
| 15 | Greenbrae | 6.8x income | 20 | View → |
| 16 | Manhattan Beach | 6.9x income | 18 | View → |
| 17 | Burlingame | 7.1x income | 15 | View → |
| 18 | Moraga | 7.1x income | 14 | View → |
| 19 | Oak Park | 7.1x income | 14 | View → |
| 20 | Danville | 7.2x income | 13 | View → |
| 21 | Granite Bay | 7.2x income | 13 | View → |
| 22 | Laguna Beach | 7.2x income | 13 | View → |
| 23 | Ladera Ranch | 7.2x income | 13 | View → |
| 24 | Trabuco Canyon | 7.3x income | 12 | View → |
| 25 | Lafayette | 7.3x income | 12 | View → |
| 26 | Los Gatos | 7.4x income | 11 | View → |
| 27 | Menlo Park | 7.3x income | 11 | View → |
| 28 | Beverly Hills | 7.4x income | 10 | View → |
| 29 | Westlake Village | 7.4x income | 10 | View → |
| 30 | San Anselmo | 7.4x income | 10 | View → |
| 31 | Corte Madera | 7.4x income | 10 | View → |
| 32 | Mill Valley | 7.5x income | 8 | View → |
| 33 | Stevenson Ranch | 7.5x income | 8 | View → |
| 34 | Hermosa Beach | 7.6x income | 7 | View → |
| 35 | Palo Alto | 7.6x income | 6 | View → |
| 36 | Carmel | 7.6x income | 6 | View → |
| 37 | Half Moon Bay | 7.7x income | 5 | View → |
| 38 | Clayton | 7.7x income | 4 | View → |
| 39 | Foothill Ranch | 7.8x income | 4 | View → |
| 40 | Stanford | 7.8x income | 3 | View → |
| 41 | Newport Beach | 7.9x income | 2 | View → |
| 42 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 7.9x income | 2 | View → |
| 43 | Cupertino | 7.9x income | 1 | View → |
| 44 | La Jolla | 7.9x income | 1 | View → |
| 45 | San Carlos | 8.0x income | 1 | View → |
| 46 | Marina Del Rey | 7.9x income | 1 | View → |
| 47 | Sausalito | 7.9x income | 1 | View → |
| 48 | Los Angeles | 12.9x income | 0 | View → |
| 49 | San Diego | 12.8x income | 0 | View → |
| 50 | San Jose | 10.9x income | 0 | View → |
Methodology
Ratio = estimated home value ÷ average household income (Census ACS). Demographia bands (under 3.0 affordable, over 5.0 severely unaffordable) are designed around medians, so treat these as directional. Cities whose true median home value likely exceeds the dataset's modeled value (e.g. SF Bay, Manhattan) are flagged in their state pages.
FAQ
- What's a healthy ratio in California?
- Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.
- Does this account for interest rates?
- No, price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.
- What if my income is higher?
- Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.
Other reports for California
Best Cities for Owner Financing
Cheapest Rent-to-Own Markets
Cities With Most FSBO Activity
Investor Competition by Market
Estimated Owner-Finance Down Payment by City
Cities With Most Cash Buyers
Foreclosure Risk by City
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