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Buying a home in Sonora, California

The typical owner-occupied home in Sonora is worth about $422,300, 43% below the California median of $734,700 and 27% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,016 a year in property taxes, about 0.71% of their home's value, close to the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $82,690 a year, so the median home costs 5.1 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 43% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 80% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Sonora at a glance

Sonora California U.S.
Median home value $422,300 $734,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,016 $5,124 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.71% 0.70% 0.94%
Median household income $82,690 $99,122 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 43% 56% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 80% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,466 $2,946 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 30.1% 24.8% 21.0%
Median rent $1,238 $2,036 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.8% 32.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1976 1980
Vacant homes 11.6% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 4,919 39,287,377 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Sonora

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Sonora home of $422,300 with 20% down costs about $2,698 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,402, 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 $115,650 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 39% of the median Sonora household income of $82,690; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $302,000.

The median rent here is $1,238 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,460 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$84,460
Loan amount$337,840
Principal and interest$2,273
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$250
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$176
PMI$0
Total per month$2,698

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$14,780
Loan amount$414,651
Principal and interest$2,789
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$250
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$176
FHA mortgage insurance$187
Total per month$3,402

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Questions about home buying in Sonora

What is the median home value in Sonora?

About $422,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Sonora?

Homeowners pay a median $3,016 a year, which is about 0.71% 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 Sonora?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,698 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $115,650 a year.

More about Sonora

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