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Buying a home in Lemon Grove, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Lemon Grove is worth about $705,400, 4% below the California median of $734,700 and 2.1 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $4,752 a year in property taxes, about 0.67% of their home's value, close to the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $88,009 a year, so the median home costs 8.0 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 52% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 85% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lemon Grove at a glance

Lemon Grove California U.S.
Median home value $705,400 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $4,752 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.67% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $88,009 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 52% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 85% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,538 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 26.7% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,893 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 36.1% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1976 1980
Vacant homes 3.6% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 27,686 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lemon Grove

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lemon Grove home of $705,400 with 20% down costs about $4,484 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $5,659, 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 $192,171 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 61% of the median Lemon Grove household income of $88,009; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $323,000.

The median rent here is $1,893 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,591 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$141,080
Loan amount$564,320
Principal and interest$3,796
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$394
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$294
PMI$0
Total per month$4,484

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$24,689
Loan amount$692,623
Principal and interest$4,659
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$394
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$294
FHA mortgage insurance$312
Total per month$5,659

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Questions about home buying in Lemon Grove

What is the median home value in Lemon Grove?

About $705,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lemon Grove?

Homeowners pay a median $4,752 a year, which is about 0.67% 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 Lemon Grove?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $4,484 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $192,171 a year.

More about Lemon Grove

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