The typical owner-occupied home in El Portal is worth about $247,800, 66% below the California median of $734,700 and 26% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,029 a year in property taxes, about 0.42% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $55,847 a year, so the median home costs 4.4 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 58% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 20% of those owners still have a mortgage.
El Portal at a glance
| El Portal | California | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $247,800 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,029 | $5,124 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.42% | 0.70% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $55,847 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 58% | 56% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 20% | 67% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | – | $2,946 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 24.6% | 24.8% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | – | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 17.2% | 32.8% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1955 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 11.4% | 7.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 505 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in El Portal
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median El Portal home of $247,800 with 20% down costs about $1,524 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,936, 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 $65,295 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 33% of the median El Portal household income of $55,847; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $212,000.
| Down payment | $49,560 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $198,240 |
| Principal and interest | $1,334 |
| Property taxes (0.42% a year) | $87 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $103 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $1,524 |
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| Down payment | $8,673 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $243,312 |
| Principal and interest | $1,637 |
| Property taxes (0.42% a year) | $87 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $103 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $110 |
| Total per month | $1,936 |
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Questions about home buying in El Portal
What is the median home value in El Portal?
About $247,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in El Portal?
Homeowners pay a median $1,029 a year, which is about 0.42% 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 El Portal?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,524 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $65,295 a year.
More about El Portal
- Mortgage Refinance in El Portal
- Debt Relief in El Portal
- Home Equity Loans in El Portal
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
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