The typical owner-occupied home in Sierra County is worth about $331,900, 55% below the California median of $734,700 and about the same as the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,279 a year in property taxes, about 0.69% of their home's value, close to the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $63,355 a year, so the median home costs 5.2 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 72% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 58% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Sierra County at a glance
| Sierra County | California | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $331,900 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $2,279 | $5,124 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.69% | 0.70% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $63,355 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 72% | 56% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 58% | 67% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $2,125 | $2,946 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 26.3% | 24.8% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | – | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 28.4% | 32.8% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1971 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 42.5% | 7.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 2,746 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Sierra County
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Sierra County home of $331,900 with 20% down costs about $2,115 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,668, 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 $90,656 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 40% of the median Sierra County household income of $63,355; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $232,000.
| Down payment | $66,380 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $265,520 |
| Principal and interest | $1,786 |
| Property taxes (0.69% a year) | $191 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $138 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $2,115 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $11,616 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $325,888 |
| Principal and interest | $2,192 |
| Property taxes (0.69% a year) | $191 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $138 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $147 |
| Total per month | $2,668 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Sierra County
What is the median home value in Sierra County?
About $331,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Sierra County?
Homeowners pay a median $2,279 a year, which is about 0.69% 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 Sierra County?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,115 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $90,656 a year.
More about Sierra County
- Mortgage Refinance in Sierra County
- Debt Relief in Sierra County
- Home Equity Loans in Sierra County
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
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