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Buying a home in Alpine County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Alpine County is worth about $590,200, 20% below the California median of $734,700 and 77% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $4,530 a year in property taxes, about 0.77% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $105,521 a year, so the median home costs 5.6 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 78% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 52% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Alpine County at a glance

Alpine County California U.S.
Median home value $590,200 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $4,530 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.77% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $105,521 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 78% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 52% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,789 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 26.3% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent – $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 22.1% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1976 1980
Vacant homes 72.1% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 1,616 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Alpine County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Alpine County home of $590,200 with 20% down costs about $3,801 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,784, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $162,895 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 43% of the median Alpine County household income of $105,521; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $382,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$118,040
Loan amount$472,160
Principal and interest$3,176
Property taxes (0.77% a year)$379
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$246
PMI$0
Total per month$3,801

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$20,657
Loan amount$579,510
Principal and interest$3,898
Property taxes (0.77% a year)$379
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$246
FHA mortgage insurance$261
Total per month$4,784

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Questions about home buying in Alpine County

What is the median home value in Alpine County?

About $590,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Alpine County?

Homeowners pay a median $4,530 a year, which is about 0.77% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Alpine County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,801 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $162,895 a year.

More about Alpine County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data