California Average Home Price by City (2026)
The average home price in California (CA) is about $688,000 — the 2026 median, at ~$451/sq ft — 138% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
Shaded by price · click a city to explore. Colour = median home value.
Considering a move to California?
Housing in California is 138% more expensive than the national average, with a typical home around $688,000 and a local rate near $451 per square foot. Among the 91 California cities we track, Newport Beach is the most expensive (median $4,495,000) and Bakersfield is the most affordable (median $344,500) — so where you land in the state matters as much as the state itself.
Browse California cities
California home prices by county
47 California counties with enough data for their own page, priciest first:
See the cheapest (and most expensive) places to live in California.
Don’t see your city? Use the free Home Value Estimator for any U.S. ZIP, see the most expensive ZIP codes in America, or browse the full U.S. directory.
Home value appreciation in California
Home prices in California have risen about 80% over the last 10 years (≈6.1% a year) and +56.4% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +0.8% — roughly flat. A home worth $688,000 today was worth roughly $381,586 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — nationally the median state is +85.6% over 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for California
Run the numbers for California with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in California
To buy the typical $688,000 home in California with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $187,000 a year (about $4,370 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $222,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $34,400 | $5,430/mo | $233,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $68,800 | $5,190/mo | $222,000/yr |
| 20% | $137,600 | $4,370/mo | $187,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in California
At about $451 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in California:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $400k | 890 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $500k | 1110 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $600k | 1330 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $750k | 1660 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $1.00M | 2220 sq ft | above the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to California so you can compare your current home against every California city we track.