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Buying a home in Sacramento County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Sacramento County is worth about $534,200, 27% below the California median of $734,700 and 61% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,921 a year in property taxes, about 0.73% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $92,175 a year, so the median home costs 5.8 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 59% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 69% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Sacramento County at a glance

Sacramento County California U.S.
Median home value $534,200 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,921 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.73% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $92,175 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 59% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 69% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,428 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.4% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,790 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.1% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1976 1980
Vacant homes 4.6% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 1,594,006 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Sacramento County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Sacramento County home of $534,200 with 20% down costs about $3,422 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,312, 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 $146,676 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 45% of the median Sacramento County household income of $92,175; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $336,000.

The median rent here is $1,790 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,632 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$106,840
Loan amount$427,360
Principal and interest$2,875
Property taxes (0.73% a year)$325
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$223
PMI$0
Total per month$3,422

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$18,697
Loan amount$524,524
Principal and interest$3,529
Property taxes (0.73% a year)$325
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$223
FHA mortgage insurance$236
Total per month$4,312

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Questions about home buying in Sacramento County

What is the median home value in Sacramento County?

About $534,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Sacramento County?

Homeowners pay a median $3,921 a year, which is about 0.73% 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 Sacramento County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,422 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $146,676 a year.

More about Sacramento 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