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Buying a home in Los Angeles County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Los Angeles County is worth about $834,200, 14% above the California median of $734,700 and 2.5 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $5,675 a year in property taxes, about 0.68% of their home's value, close to the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $90,112 a year, so the median home costs 9.3 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 46% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 68% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Los Angeles County at a glance

Los Angeles County California U.S.
Median home value $834,200 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $5,675 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.68% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $90,112 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 46% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 68% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $3,160 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 26.7% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,954 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.1% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1965 1976 1980
Vacant homes 6.4% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 9,808,667 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Los Angeles County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Los Angeles County home of $834,200 with 20% down costs about $5,310 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $6,834, 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 $227,557 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 71% of the median Los Angeles County household income of $90,112; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $330,000.

The median rent here is $1,954 a month, so owning the median home costs about $3,356 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$166,840
Loan amount$667,360
Principal and interest$4,489
Property taxes (0.68% a year)$473
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$348
PMI$0
Total per month$5,310

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$29,197
Loan amount$819,091
Principal and interest$5,510
Property taxes (0.68% a year)$473
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$348
FHA mortgage insurance$503
Total per month$6,834

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Questions about home buying in Los Angeles County

What is the median home value in Los Angeles County?

About $834,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Los Angeles County?

Homeowners pay a median $5,675 a year, which is about 0.68% 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 Los Angeles County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $5,310 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $227,557 a year.

More about Los Angeles 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