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Buying a home in Arnold, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Arnold is worth about $485,700, 34% below the California median of $734,700 and 46% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,254 a year in property taxes, about 0.67% of their home's value, close to the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $92,467 a year, so the median home costs 5.3 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 84% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 43% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Arnold at a glance

Arnold California U.S.
Median home value $485,700 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,254 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.67% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $92,467 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 84% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 43% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,187 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.4% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,613 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 24.7% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1976 1980
Vacant homes 72.6% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 2,482 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Arnold

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Arnold home of $485,700 with 20% down costs about $3,087 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,897, 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 $132,318 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 40% of the median Arnold household income of $92,467; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $339,000.

The median rent here is $1,613 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,474 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$97,140
Loan amount$388,560
Principal and interest$2,614
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$271
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$202
PMI$0
Total per month$3,087

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$17,000
Loan amount$476,903
Principal and interest$3,208
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$271
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$202
FHA mortgage insurance$215
Total per month$3,897

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Questions about home buying in Arnold

What is the median home value in Arnold?

About $485,700 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Arnold?

Homeowners pay a median $3,254 a year, which is about 0.67% 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 Arnold?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,087 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $132,318 a year.

More about Arnold

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