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Buying a home in San Benito County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in San Benito County is worth about $793,400, 8% above the California median of $734,700 and 2.4 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $6,441 a year in property taxes, about 0.81% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $114,394 a year, so the median home costs 6.9 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 68% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 72% of those owners still have a mortgage.

San Benito County at a glance

San Benito County California U.S.
Median home value $793,400 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $6,441 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.81% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $114,394 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 68% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 72% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $3,284 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 27.5% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,992 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.3% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1989 1976 1980
Vacant homes 3.6% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 67,290 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in San Benito County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median San Benito County home of $793,400 with 20% down costs about $5,136 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $6,585, 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 $220,111 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 54% of the median San Benito County household income of $114,394; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $412,000.

The median rent here is $1,992 a month, so owning the median home costs about $3,144 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$158,680
Loan amount$634,720
Principal and interest$4,270
Property taxes (0.81% a year)$536
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$331
PMI$0
Total per month$5,136

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$27,769
Loan amount$779,030
Principal and interest$5,241
Property taxes (0.81% a year)$536
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$331
FHA mortgage insurance$479
Total per month$6,585

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Questions about home buying in San Benito County

What is the median home value in San Benito County?

About $793,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in San Benito County?

Homeowners pay a median $6,441 a year, which is about 0.81% 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 San Benito County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $5,136 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $220,111 a year.

More about San Benito 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