Home / Home Buying by state / California / Butte County / Forest Ranch

Buying a home in Forest Ranch, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Forest Ranch is worth about $445,800, 39% below the California median of $734,700 and 34% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,938 a year in property taxes, about 0.88% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $131,650 a year, so the median home costs 3.4 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 97% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 76% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Forest Ranch at a glance

Forest Ranch California U.S.
Median home value $445,800 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,938 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.88% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $131,650 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 97% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 76% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,703 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.7% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent – $2,036 $1,413
Median year homes were built 1989 1976 1980
Vacant homes 2.8% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 1,915 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Forest Ranch

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Forest Ranch home of $445,800 with 20% down costs about $2,912 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,654, 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 $124,792 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 27% of the median Forest Ranch household income of $131,650; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $470,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$89,160
Loan amount$356,640
Principal and interest$2,399
Property taxes (0.88% a year)$327
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$186
PMI$0
Total per month$2,912

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$15,603
Loan amount$437,725
Principal and interest$2,945
Property taxes (0.88% a year)$327
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$186
FHA mortgage insurance$197
Total per month$3,654

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Forest Ranch

What is the median home value in Forest Ranch?

About $445,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Forest Ranch?

Homeowners pay a median $3,938 a year, which is about 0.88% 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 Forest Ranch?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,912 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $124,792 a year.

More about Forest Ranch

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