Some of the priciest communities in the United States are found in California – largely in the San Francisco Bay area where median home prices have surpassed $1 million.
However, California is a very large state and there are many counties where single-family homes are still affordable.
Just don’t expect to be on the coast.
According to the California Association of Realtors, 20 of California’s 58 counties have median home prices below the national average of $428,700. In some areas, an average home goes for less than $300,000.
The most affordable counties are located in California’s Central Valley and far north in what some call “Upstate California.”
Homes below $300,000
The most affordable homes in the Golden State can be found in sparsely populated Siskiyou County, which is located along the Oregon border. The median home price here is $240,000 – not a bad deal to have quick access to incredible outdoor recreation and views of 14,000-foot Mount Shasta.
Lassen County, located north of the Lake Tahoe area along the Nevada border, has the second-lowest home prices at $249,000. In Tehama County, the median home price is $283,180.
Full list of California counties with home prices below the national average
| Central Valley | Median Single-Family Homes (March 2023) |
| Fresno | $409,500 |
| Glenn | $370,000 |
| Kern | $365,000 |
| Kings | $355,000 |
| Madera | $417,000 |
| Merced | $400,000 |
| Tulare | $344,000 |
| Far North | Median Single-Family Homes (March 2023) |
| Butte | $421,650 |
| Lassen | $249,000 |
| Plumas | $310,000 |
| Shasta | $365,000 |
| Siskiyou | $240,000 |
| Tehama | $283,180 |
| Other Counties | Median Single-Family Homes (March 2023) |
| Amador | $414,940 |
| Del Norte | $400,000 |
| Lake | $351,250 |
| Mariposa | $399,500 |
| Sutter | $385,000 |
| Tuolumne | $389,500 |
| Yuba | $425,000 |
The median price of a home in California was $791,490 in March, according to the California Association of Realtors.
