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Buying a home in Alta, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Alta is worth about $470,000, 36% below the California median of $734,700 and 41% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,396 a year in property taxes, about 0.51% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $96,792 a year, so the median home costs 4.9 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 92% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 63% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Alta at a glance

Alta California U.S.
Median home value $470,000 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,396 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.51% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $96,792 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 92% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 63% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,177 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 38.5% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,083 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 23.3% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1976 1980
Vacant homes 30.2% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 656 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Alta

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Alta home of $470,000 with 20% down costs about $2,925 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,708, 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 $125,355 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 36% of the median Alta household income of $96,792; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $363,000.

The median rent here is $1,083 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,842 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$94,000
Loan amount$376,000
Principal and interest$2,529
Property taxes (0.51% a year)$200
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$196
PMI$0
Total per month$2,925

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$16,450
Loan amount$461,487
Principal and interest$3,104
Property taxes (0.51% a year)$200
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$196
FHA mortgage insurance$208
Total per month$3,708

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Questions about home buying in Alta

What is the median home value in Alta?

About $470,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Alta?

Homeowners pay a median $2,396 a year, which is about 0.51% 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 Alta?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,925 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $125,355 a year.

More about Alta

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