Stacker Studio

Counties with the lowest home prices in California

Written by:
June 8, 2021
Arina P Habich // Shutterstock

This story originally appeared on Stacker and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

Counties with the lowest home prices in California

The real estate market is booming right now thanks to low interest rates, a flood of millennial buyers, and shrinking inventory. The median cost of a home has increased 20% year over year, hitting $347,500, according to a report released in April 2020 by real estate listing website Redfin. These high asking costs—while good for sellers—are pricing many buyers out of the market entirely.

But all things are not equal when it comes to real estate in the United States.

Credible used 2021 data calculated by the National Association of REALTORS to compile a list of counties with the lowest median home values and monthly mortgage payments in California. Counties were ranked by the monthly mortgage payment for a typical home in 2020, from lowest to highest. Ties were broken by median home values in 2020.

The National Association of REALTORS calculated the fourth quarter 2020 median home values by applying the Federal Housing Finance Agency's House Price Index growth to 2019 housing and population data from the American Community Survey and determining an estimate of 2020 median home values for all counties where data is available. The monthly mortgage payments for fourth quarter 2019 and fourth quarter 2020 were calculated for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 10% down payment.

Keep reading to discover which county in California has the lowest home prices.

#30. Humboldt County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,357 (6.0% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,444
- Median home value in 2020: $366,400
- Ranked #2,972 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#29. Stanislaus County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,347 (2.9% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,387
- Median home value in 2020: $363,600
- Ranked #2,970 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#28. Butte County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,300 (1.6% greater than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,280
- Median home value in 2020: $351,100
- Ranked #2,952 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#27. Calaveras County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,245 (5.5% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,317
- Median home value in 2020: $336,300
- Ranked #2,933 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#26. Sutter County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,234 (13.3% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,424
- Median home value in 2020: $333,200
- Ranked #2,929 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#25. Amador County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,223 (6.7% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,311
- Median home value in 2020: $330,200
- Ranked #2,923 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#24. Mono County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,218 (15.7% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,444
- Median home value in 2020: $329,000
- Ranked #2,919 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#23. Madera County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,179 (1.9% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,202
- Median home value in 2020: $318,400
- Ranked #2,897 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#22. Yuba County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,140 (8.0% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,239
- Median home value in 2020: $307,900
- Ranked #2,877 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#21. Fresno County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,135 (4.3% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,186
- Median home value in 2020: $306,400
- Ranked #2,871 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#20. Tuolumne County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,127 (8.7% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,234
- Median home value in 2020: $304,500
- Ranked #2,861 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#19. Trinity County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,121 (11.0% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,259
- Median home value in 2020: $302,900
- Ranked #2,858 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#18. Merced County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,114 (2.6% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,144
- Median home value in 2020: $300,700
- Ranked #2,855 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#17. Shasta County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,102 (5.3% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,164
- Median home value in 2020: $297,700
- Ranked #2,848 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#16. Mariposa County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,075 (9.8% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,192
- Median home value in 2020: $290,200
- Ranked #2,828 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#15. Inyo County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,049 (9.6% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,161
- Median home value in 2020: $283,300
- Ranked #2,811 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#14. Colusa County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $1,034 (6.4% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,105
- Median home value in 2020: $279,200
- Ranked #2,797 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#13. Lake County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $995 (8.5% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,087
- Median home value in 2020: $268,700
- Ranked #2,757 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#12. Kings County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $982 (3.1% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,013
- Median home value in 2020: $265,200
- Ranked #2,748 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#11. Tulare County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $964 (0.6% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $970
- Median home value in 2020: $260,300
- Ranked #2,729 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#10. Tehama County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $949 (5.4% greater than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $900
- Median home value in 2020: $256,300
- Ranked #2,714 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#9. Plumas County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $945 (9.0% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $1,039
- Median home value in 2020: $255,100
- Ranked #2,708 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#8. Kern County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $937 (5.7% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $994
- Median home value in 2020: $253,000
- Ranked #2,699 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#7. Glenn County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $909 (7.4% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $982
- Median home value in 2020: $245,500
- Ranked #2,678 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#6. Imperial County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $905 (2.6% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $929
- Median home value in 2020: $244,300
- Ranked #2,668 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#5. Sierra County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $902 (17.8% greater than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $766
- Median home value in 2020: $243,600
- Ranked #2,662 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#4. Del Norte County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $853 (5.4% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $902
- Median home value in 2020: $230,300
- Ranked #2,583 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#3. Lassen County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $791 (2.9% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $815
- Median home value in 2020: $213,700
- Ranked #2,491 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#2. Siskiyou County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $775 (5.9% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $824
- Median home value in 2020: $209,400
- Ranked #2,458 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

#1. Modoc County

- Monthly mortgage payment in 2020: $548 (7.1% less than 2019)
- Monthly mortgage payment in 2019: $590
- Median home value in 2020: $148,000
- Ranked #1,749 out of 3,120 counties nationwide

Trending Now