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Buying a home in Poway, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Poway is worth about $1,034,800, 41% above the California median of $734,700 and 3.1 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $6,843 a year in property taxes, about 0.66% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $148,359 a year, so the median home costs 7.0 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 75% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 72% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Poway at a glance

Poway California U.S.
Median home value $1,034,800 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $6,843 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.66% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $148,359 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 75% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 72% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $3,446 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.5% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $2,301 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.7% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1978 1976 1980
Vacant homes 3.0% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 48,713 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Poway

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Poway home of $1,034,800 with 20% down costs about $6,569 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $8,460, 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 $281,539 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 53% of the median Poway household income of $148,359; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $545,000.

The median rent here is $2,301 a month, so owning the median home costs about $4,268 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$206,960
Loan amount$827,840
Principal and interest$5,569
Property taxes (0.66% a year)$569
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$431
PMI$0
Total per month$6,569

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$36,218
Loan amount$1,016,057
Principal and interest$6,835
Property taxes (0.66% a year)$569
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$431
FHA mortgage insurance$624
Total per month$8,460

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Questions about home buying in Poway

What is the median home value in Poway?

About $1,034,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Poway?

Homeowners pay a median $6,843 a year, which is about 0.66% 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 Poway?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $6,569 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $281,539 a year.

More about Poway

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