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Buying a home in Fort Bragg, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Fort Bragg is worth about $535,400, 27% below the California median of $734,700 and 61% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,205 a year in property taxes, about 0.60% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $56,481 a year, so the median home costs 9.5 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 46% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 61% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Fort Bragg at a glance

Fort Bragg California U.S.
Median home value $535,400 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,205 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.60% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $56,481 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 46% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 61% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,098 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 31.5% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,290 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.0% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1964 1976 1980
Vacant homes 14.0% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 7,032 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Fort Bragg

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fort Bragg home of $535,400 with 20% down costs about $3,372 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,264, 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 $144,519 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 72% of the median Fort Bragg household income of $56,481; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $209,000.

The median rent here is $1,290 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,082 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$107,080
Loan amount$428,320
Principal and interest$2,881
Property taxes (0.60% a year)$268
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$223
PMI$0
Total per month$3,372

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$18,739
Loan amount$525,703
Principal and interest$3,536
Property taxes (0.60% a year)$268
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$223
FHA mortgage insurance$237
Total per month$4,264

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Questions about home buying in Fort Bragg

What is the median home value in Fort Bragg?

About $535,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Fort Bragg?

Homeowners pay a median $3,205 a year, which is about 0.60% 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 Fort Bragg?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,372 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $144,519 a year.

More about Fort Bragg

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