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 | Los Angeles | 12.9x income | 0 | View → |
| 2 | San Diego | 12.8x income | 0 | View → |
| 3 | San Jose | 10.9x income | 0 | View → |
| 4 | San Francisco | 10.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 5 | Sacramento | 12.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 6 | Fresno | 12.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 7 | Bakersfield | 12.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 8 | Long Beach | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 9 | Riverside | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 10 | Oakland | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 11 | Stockton | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 12 | Anaheim | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 13 | Santa Ana | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 14 | Modesto | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 15 | Corona | 10.8x income | 0 | View → |
| 16 | Chula Vista | 11.5x income | 0 | View → |
| 17 | San Bernardino | 13.2x income | 0 | View → |
| 18 | Fontana | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 19 | Irvine | 9.9x income | 0 | View → |
| 20 | Fremont | 9.4x income | 0 | View → |
| 21 | Oxnard | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 22 | Santa Rosa | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 23 | Moreno Valley | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 24 | Oceanside | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 25 | Whittier | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 26 | Huntington Beach | 10.2x income | 0 | View → |
| 27 | Salinas | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 28 | Lancaster | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 29 | Hayward | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 30 | Escondido | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 31 | Garden Grove | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 32 | Torrance | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 33 | Glendale | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 34 | Palmdale | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 35 | Van Nuys | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 36 | Ontario | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 37 | Rancho Cucamonga | 10.5x income | 0 | View → |
| 38 | El Cajon | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 39 | Elk Grove | 11.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 40 | North Hollywood | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 41 | Pomona | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 42 | Pasadena | 10.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 43 | Sunnyvale | 9.9x income | 0 | View → |
| 44 | Orange | 11.3x income | 0 | View → |
| 45 | Visalia | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 46 | Inglewood | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 47 | Fullerton | 11.4x income | 0 | View → |
| 48 | Santa Maria | 11.7x income | 0 | View → |
| 49 | Santa Barbara | 9.5x income | 0 | View → |
| 50 | Compton | 11.7x 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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