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Buying a home in Tehama County, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Tehama County is worth about $339,600, 54% below the California median of $734,700 and about the same as the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,118 a year in property taxes, about 0.62% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $63,784 a year, so the median home costs 5.3 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 67% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 58% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Tehama County at a glance

Tehama County California U.S.
Median home value $339,600 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,118 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.62% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $63,784 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 67% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 58% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,872 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 24.6% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,184 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.3% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1976 1980
Vacant homes 10.0% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 65,167 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Tehama County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Tehama County home of $339,600 with 20% down costs about $2,145 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,710, 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 $91,910 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 40% of the median Tehama County household income of $63,784; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $236,000.

The median rent here is $1,184 a month, so owning the median home costs about $961 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$67,920
Loan amount$271,680
Principal and interest$1,828
Property taxes (0.62% a year)$175
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$142
PMI$0
Total per month$2,145

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,886
Loan amount$333,449
Principal and interest$2,243
Property taxes (0.62% a year)$175
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$142
FHA mortgage insurance$150
Total per month$2,710

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Questions about home buying in Tehama County

What is the median home value in Tehama County?

About $339,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Tehama County?

Homeowners pay a median $2,118 a year, which is about 0.62% 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 Tehama County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,145 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $91,910 a year.

More about Tehama 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