Yes, California is expensive. And yes, home prices are one of the main reasons why.
But for every multi-million-dollar home in affluent coastal communities like San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County or the Central Coast, you’ll find thousands of more affordable options elsewhere in the state.
Of California’s 58 counties, 11 have median single-family home prices above $1 million, according to the latest sales data from the California Association of Realtors. Twenty-five counties, however, still have median home prices under $500,000 and, in some cases, well below that.
The far northern part of the state has the most affordable homes with a median price of $376,000, based on sales figures from October. Within that region, picturesque but remote Lassen County is the cheapest ($247,500) followed by equally stunning Siskiyou County ($295,000).
In both of those counties, home prices are down year-over-year.
Del Norte County, which encompasses the far northwest corner of California, has a median home price of $307,500, CAR sales figures show.
If you’re looking to stay under $400,000, you’ll also find plenty of options in Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Lake, Glenn, Kern, Kings and Merced counties.
In Southern California, the most affordable homes continue to be found in San Bernardino County ($481,500) followed by Riverside County ($620,960).
California Median Home Prices by Region/County
| State/Region/County | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| CA Single Family Homes | $840,360 | $843,340 | $798,140 |
| CA Condo/Townhomes | $660,000 | $650,000 | $620,000 |
| Los Angeles Metropolitan Area | $785,000 | $780,000 | $742,000 |
| Central Coast | $1,050,000 | $950,000 | $937,500 |
| Central Valley | $473,000 | $481,000 | $455,000 |
| Far North | $376,000 | $385,000 | $392,750 |
| Inland Empire | $561,410 | $550,000 | $550,000 |
| S.F. Bay Area | $1,268,940 | $1,300,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Southern California | $820,000 | $820,000 | $770,000 |
| S.F. Bay Area | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Alameda | $1,240,000 | $1,300,000 | $1,213,000 |
| Contra Costa | $824,950 | $871,250 | $850,000 |
| Marin | $1,712,500 | $1,650,000 | $1,668,500 |
| Napa | $1,027,500 | $890,000 | $975,000 |
| San Francisco | $1,650,000 | $1,580,000 | $1,692,500 |
| San Mateo | $2,100,000 | $1,955,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Santa Clara | $1,805,000 | $1,853,000 | $1,625,000 |
| Solano | $620,000 | $585,680 | $580,000 |
| Sonoma | $857,500 | $848,000 | $797,570 |
| Southern California | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Los Angeles | $893,650 | $914,640 | $854,560 |
| Orange | $1,275,000 | $1,310,000 | $1,165,000 |
| Riverside | $620,960 | $600,000 | $599,990 |
| San Bernardino | $481,500 | $475,000 | $465,000 |
| San Diego | $936,250 | $973,100 | $860,000 |
| Ventura | $899,000 | $962,500 | $855,000 |
| Central Coast | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Monterey | $1,122,500 | $943,340 | $865,000 |
| San Luis Obispo | $887,620 | $888,000 | $815,000 |
| Santa Barbara | $1,370,000 | $1,030,000 | $1,115,000 |
| Santa Cruz | $1,229,000 | $1,165,000 | $1,362,000 |
| Central Valley | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Fresno | $410,000 | $410,000 | $400,000 |
| Glenn | $363,000 | $300,000 | $310,000 |
| Kern | $395,000 | $383,000 | $379,980 |
| Kings | $360,000 | $370,750 | $328,000 |
| Madera | $435,000 | $410,000 | $400,000 |
| Merced | $392,750 | $384,500 | $380,000 |
| Placer | $685,000 | $665,000 | $645,000 |
| Sacramento | $550,000 | $545,000 | $510,000 |
| San Benito | $780,000 | $761,250 | $761,000 |
| San Joaquin | $550,000 | $550,000 | $523,750 |
| Stanislaus | $460,000 | $469,500 | $434,500 |
| Tulare | $358,500 | $385,000 | $369,000 |
| Far North | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Butte | $421,400 | $429,420 | $438,750 |
| Lassen | $247,500 | $181,250 | $290,500 |
| Plumas | $385,250 | $441,250 | $442,500 |
| Shasta | $389,500 | $385,000 | $382,250 |
| Siskiyou | $295,000 | $325,000 | $326,750 |
| Tehama | $370,000 | $310,000 | $272,500 |
| Trinity | $320,000 | $320,000 | $300,000 |
| Other Counties in California | Oct-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-22 |
| Amador | $410,000 | $414,250 | $373,750 |
| Calaveras | $405,500 | $537,500 | $414,500 |
| Del Norte | $307,500 | $400,000 | $389,900 |
| El Dorado | $660,000 | $685,000 | $679,500 |
| Humboldt | $432,500 | $422,500 | $439,500 |
| Lake | $365,000 | $260,000 | $353,000 |
| Mariposa | $485,000 | $432,500 | $399,000 |
| Mendocino | $430,000 | $448,000 | $522,500 |
| Mono | $1,050,000 | $935,000 | $960,000 |
| Nevada | $538,000 | $563,000 | $532,500 |
| Sutter | $425,750 | $430,000 | $425,000 |
| Tuolumne | $410,000 | $419,000 | $368,260 |
| Yolo | $629,900 | $608,640 | $595,000 |
| Yuba | $424,900 | $433,250 | $404,950 |
These numbers are based solely on median home prices per region or county. Even in California’s most expensive housing markets, buyers can find single-family homes well below the median price.