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Buying a home in Santee, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Santee is worth about $727,200, about the same as the California median of $734,700 and 2.2 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $4,840 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 $113,394 a year, so the median home costs 6.4 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 72% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 71% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Santee at a glance

Santee California U.S.
Median home value $727,200 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $4,840 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.67% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $113,394 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 72% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 71% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,901 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 24.7% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $2,250 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 40.3% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1979 1976 1980
Vacant homes 3.0% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 59,332 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Santee

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Santee home of $727,200 with 20% down costs about $4,623 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $5,834, 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 $198,110 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 49% of the median Santee household income of $113,394; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $416,000.

The median rent here is $2,250 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,373 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$145,440
Loan amount$581,760
Principal and interest$3,914
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$406
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$303
PMI$0
Total per month$4,623

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$25,452
Loan amount$714,029
Principal and interest$4,803
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$406
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$303
FHA mortgage insurance$322
Total per month$5,834

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Questions about home buying in Santee

What is the median home value in Santee?

About $727,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Santee?

Homeowners pay a median $4,840 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 Santee?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $4,623 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $198,110 a year.

More about Santee

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