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Buying a home in Riverside County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Riverside County is worth about $557,300, 24% below the California median of $734,700 and 68% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $4,348 a year in property taxes, about 0.78% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $93,074 a year, so the median home costs 6.0 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 69% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 69% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Riverside County at a glance

Riverside County California U.S.
Median home value $557,300 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $4,348 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.78% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $93,074 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 69% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 69% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,583 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.6% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,901 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.4% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1990 1976 1980
Vacant homes 10.8% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 2,478,600 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Riverside County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Riverside County home of $557,300 with 20% down costs about $3,594 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,522, 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 $154,013 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 46% of the median Riverside County household income of $93,074; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $337,000.

The median rent here is $1,901 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,693 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$111,460
Loan amount$445,840
Principal and interest$2,999
Property taxes (0.78% a year)$362
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$232
PMI$0
Total per month$3,594

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$19,506
Loan amount$547,206
Principal and interest$3,681
Property taxes (0.78% a year)$362
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$232
FHA mortgage insurance$246
Total per month$4,522

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Questions about home buying in Riverside County

What is the median home value in Riverside County?

About $557,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Riverside County?

Homeowners pay a median $4,348 a year, which is about 0.78% 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 Riverside County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,594 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $154,013 a year.

More about Riverside 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