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Buying a home in Visalia, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Visalia is worth about $371,500, 49% below the California median of $734,700 and 12% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,741 a year in property taxes, about 0.74% of their home's value, higher than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $81,989 a year, so the median home costs 4.5 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 61% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 72% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Visalia at a glance

Visalia California U.S.
Median home value $371,500 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,741 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.74% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $81,989 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 61% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 72% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,016 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 22.3% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,490 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 30.1% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1988 1976 1980
Vacant homes 4.5% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 143,939 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Visalia

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Visalia home of $371,500 with 20% down costs about $2,383 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,002, 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 $102,135 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Visalia household income of $81,989; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $298,000.

The median rent here is $1,490 a month, so owning the median home costs about $893 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$74,300
Loan amount$297,200
Principal and interest$1,999
Property taxes (0.74% a year)$229
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$155
PMI$0
Total per month$2,383

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$13,002
Loan amount$364,771
Principal and interest$2,454
Property taxes (0.74% a year)$229
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$155
FHA mortgage insurance$164
Total per month$3,002

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Questions about home buying in Visalia

What is the median home value in Visalia?

About $371,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Visalia?

Homeowners pay a median $2,741 a year, which is about 0.74% 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 Visalia?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,383 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $102,135 a year.

More about Visalia

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