Monterey County, CA Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Monterey County, California is about $782,000 (the 2026 median across 27 ZIP codes, at ~$537/sq ft) — 14% more expensive than the California median and 171% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Monterey County compares
Monterey County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $782,000 against $688,000 for California and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $452,000 to $2,863,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Monterey County | $782,000 | $537 |
| California | $688,000 | $451 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Cities in Monterey County
Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:
Monterey County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Monterey County (of 27 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93953 Del Monte Forest | $2,863,000 | $1302 | +266% |
| 93923 Carmel-by-the-Sea | $2,359,000 | $1018 | +202% |
| 93920 Big Sur | $1,744,000 | $2099 | +123% |
| 93924 Carmel Valley | $1,430,000 | $717 | +83% |
| 93950 Pacific Grove | $1,367,000 | $1081 | +75% |
| 93908 Salinas | $1,170,000 | $586 | +50% |
| 93940 Monterey | $1,120,000 | $750 | +43% |
| 95039 Moss Landing | $1,080,000 | $995 | +38% |
| 95004 Aromas | $959,000 | $596 | +23% |
| 93933 Marina | $861,000 | $525 | +10% |
| 93962 Salinas | $845,000 | $447 | +8% |
| 93932 Lockwood | $826,000 | $537 | +6% |
| 93907 Salinas | $822,000 | $554 | +5% |
| 93955 Seaside | $782,000 | $719 | +0% |
| 93901 Salinas | $770,000 | $517 | -2% |
Home value appreciation in Monterey County
Home prices in Monterey County have risen about 94% over the last 10 years (≈6.8% a year) and +32.9% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +1.3% — still rising. A home worth $782,000 today was worth roughly $403,301 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, California is +80.3% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Monterey County
Run the numbers for Monterey County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Monterey County
To buy the typical $782,000 home in Monterey County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $213,000 a year (about $4,960 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $253,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $39,100 | $6,170/mo | $264,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $78,200 | $5,900/mo | $253,000/yr |
| 20% | $156,400 | $4,960/mo | $213,000/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 Monterey County
At about $537 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Monterey County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $400k | 740 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $500k | 930 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $600k | 1120 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $750k | 1400 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $1.00M | 1860 sq ft | around the typical home here |
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.
Estimate a specific home in Monterey County
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Monterey County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all California cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.