{"id":33340,"date":"2023-06-08T10:20:45","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T17:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=33340"},"modified":"2026-04-09T06:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:46:15","slug":"buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of the Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking to buy an affordable house in California<\/a>? Considering that four of the ten most expensive cities<\/a> in the United States are located in California, the prospect of buying an inexpensive house within the state might feel\u2026 unlikely. But if you\u2019re willing to venture away from the hotspots of San Francisco and Los Angeles, buying a house<\/a> \u2014 affordably \u2014 in California is<\/i> possible.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve taken a deep dive into market research and analyzed median home sale prices, the cost of living index<\/a> (keep in mind that 100 is the national average, so it\u2019s always up or down from there when we\u2019re sharing numbers below!), and even specific neighborhoods to determine the cheapest places<\/a> to buy a house in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Find a Top Agent To Help You Buy Your California Dream Home<\/h3>\n

If you are looking to buy a home in California, a buyer’s agent is a necessary partner. Find a top agent in just a few minutes to jump-start your homebuying journey.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find a Buyer's Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There\u2019s lots of ground to cover, so let\u2019s get right into it.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

1. Bakersfield<\/h2>\n

Given its sweet spot location between LA and San Francisco, it\u2019s a wonder that Bakersfield is still such an affordable city for California homebuyers. Bakersfield has been attracting new residents, though \u2014 the city boasts a current population of more than 416,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That said, Bakersfield still has good schools, job opportunities<\/a> (particularly in agriculture and manufacturing), and plenty of recreational activities<\/a> both around town and in the outdoors.<\/p>\n

Based on median home price, three of Bakersfield\u2019s most affordable neighborhoods are Oleander-Sunset and Wible Orchard (both $250,000), Lakeview ($205,000), and Homaker Park ($137,500).<\/p>\n

Bakersfield median home price<\/a>: $399,000
\nBakersfield median household income<\/a>: $65,687
\nBakersfield cost of living index<\/a>: 103.4
\nBakersfield cost of utilities index: 111.7
\nBakersfield property tax rate: 0.8%
\nView available homes in Bakersfield<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2. Blythe<\/h2>\n

Tucked away in southeast California, the small city of Blythe is an often overlooked destination for homebuyers. The population is just under 18,000<\/a>, and with a low median home price, it could be an interesting prospect for potential buyers. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the area\u2019s parks and river access.<\/p>\n

Blythe\u2019s unemployment rate is 7.7%<\/a>, but future job growth over the next decade is estimated at 38.8%.<\/p>\n

Blythe median home price<\/a>: $223,355
\nBlythe median household income<\/a>: $44,563
\nBlythe cost of living index<\/a>: 93.6
\nBlythe cost of utilities index: 108.6
\nBlythe property tax rate: 1%
\nView available homes in Blythe<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

3. Clearlake<\/h2>\n

Clearlake sits north of Sacramento on, as its name suggests, a lake \u2014 which means this affordable city<\/a> is not only one of the cheapest places to buy a house in California, it\u2019s a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Clearlake currently has a population of just over 17,000<\/a>, and it\u2019s growing at a rate of 0.74% annually.<\/p>\n

While Clearlake isn\u2019t a hotbed of high-paying jobs, the unemployment rate is 5.4%<\/a>, which is down from 6.8% at the beginning of 2023.<\/p>\n

Clearlake median home price<\/a>: $221,967
\nClearlake median household income<\/a>: $36,339
\nClearlake cost of living index<\/a>: 94.8
\nClearlake cost of utilities index: 111.1
\nClearlake property tax rate: 0.86%
\nView available homes in Clearlake<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

4. Eureka<\/h2>\n

With its Victorian-style buildings and lively waterfront, Eureka<\/a> can easily be described as a charming small town. It sits about five hours north of San Francisco and has a population of about 26,000<\/a>, though that number is in decline by 0.09% annually.<\/p>\n

Healthcare, tourism, and lumber are significant industries in Eureka, and the city’s unemployment rate sits at just 3.50%<\/a> as the local economy recovers from Covid-19-related job loss.<\/p>\n

Eureka median home price<\/a>: $392,773
\nEureka median household income<\/a>: $43,199
\nEureka cost of living index<\/a>: 103.2
\nEureka cost of utilities index: 88.4
\nEureka property tax rate: 1%
\nView available homes in Eureka<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

5. Fresno<\/h2>\n

Despite being considerably larger than some of the other affordable cities on this list, Fresno \u2014 population 549,000<\/a> \u2014 remains one of California\u2019s cheapest places to buy a house.<\/p>\n

Agriculture is a major industry in the Fresno area, but jobs<\/a> in healthcare, business, and education are also available. The city\u2019s unemployment rate as of April 2023 is 7.4%<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Looking again at median home pricing, Fresno\u2019s most affordable neighborhoods include Calwa ($266,182), Edison ($223,915), and Central ($219,357).<\/p>\n

Fresno median home price<\/a>: $359,344
\nFresno median household income<\/a>: $53,368
\nFresno cost of living index<\/a>: 103.3
\nFresno cost of utilities index: 112.4
\nFresno property tax rate: 0.82%
\nView available homes in Fresno<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

6. Oakhurst<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re up for small town life, Oakhurst \u2014 located 14 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park \u2014 may be a great place for you to buy in California, with a population just below 5,300<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The unemployment rate in Oakhurst is 9.7%<\/a>, but job growth over the next ten years is predicted at 32.8% \u2014 things are happening in Oakhurst!<\/p>\n

Oakhurst median home price<\/a>: $420,293
\nOakhurst median household income<\/a>: $53,375
\nOakhurst cost of living index<\/a>: 105.8
\nOakhurst cost of utilities index: 104.7
\nOakhurst property tax rate: 0.76%
\nView available homes in Oakhurst<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

7. Stockton<\/h2>\n

Located in the Central Valley, Stockton is just an hour and a half from San Francisco, so it\u2019s a worthy prospect for anyone who enjoys proximity to both big cities and the outdoors. Stockton\u2019s population currently sits just below 325,000.<\/p>\n

As of April 2023, Stockton\u2019s unemployment rate is 5.8%<\/a>. Job opportunities are most prevalent in manufacturing, education, healthcare, and agriculture.<\/p>\n

Stockton\u2019s most affordable neighborhoods by median home price<\/span><\/a> include Kentfield ($338,597) and Weberstown ($316,937).<\/p>\n

Stockton median home price<\/a>: $419,631
\nStockton median household income<\/a>: $58,393
\nStockton cost of living index<\/a>: 115.6
\nStockton cost of utilities index: 108.9
\nStockton property tax rate: 0.73%
\nView available homes in Stockton<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

8. Thousand Palms<\/h2>\n

A dreamy name for sure, Thousand Palms sits two-and-a-half hours southeast of Los Angeles, and this cozy town \u2014 with a population of just 8,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thousand Palms\u2019 unemployment rate is at 7.7%<\/a>, but job growth in the coming years is predicted to reach 38.8%<\/a> \u2014 higher than the national average.<\/p>\n

Thousand Palms median home price<\/a>: $360,567
\nThousand Palms median household income<\/a>: $58,814
\nThousand Palms cost of living index<\/a>: 110.9
\nThousand Palms cost of utilities index: 106.7
\nThousand Palms property tax rate: 0.95%
\nView available homes in Thousand Palms<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

9. Ukiah<\/h2>\n

Never heard of Ukiah? That\u2019s OK; it\u2019s pretty remote, but still a unique place to buy a home if you\u2019re looking to purchase in California. You\u2019ll find lakes and vineyards here, so this little city with a population of 16,800<\/a> has plenty of things to do.<\/p>\n

Ukiah does have an unemployment rate of 7.1% and job growth is only expected to grow by 28.4%<\/a> over the next 10 years, but that doesn\u2019t mean opportunities are limited.<\/p>\n

Ukiah median home price<\/a>: $451,815
\nUkiah median household income<\/a>: $52,915
\nUkiah cost of living index<\/a>: 118.3
\nUkiah cost of utilities index: 101.4
\nUkiah property tax rate: 1%
\nView available homes in Ukiah<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

10. West Sacramento<\/h2>\n

Sacramento is divided by the Sacramento River, and you can probably guess on which side West Sacramento sits. This small city has a population just under 54,000<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

West Sacramento\u2019s unemployment rate is 6.1%<\/a>, which puts it right on par with the U.S. average. You\u2019ll find job opportunities in the hospitality, commerce, manufacturing, and agriculture industries \u2014 among others.<\/p>\n

West Sacramento median home price<\/a>: $510,326
\nWest Sacramento median household income<\/a>: $73,979
\nWest Sacramento cost of living index<\/a>: 121.4
\nWest Sacramento cost of utilities index: 101.4
\nWest Sacramento property tax rate: 0.87%
\nView available homes in West Sacramento<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Step one: Talk to a few buyer's agents!<\/h3>\n

Tell us a little bit about your plans (where you’re looking to buy and when you want to make a purchase) and we’ll connect you with top-rated buyer’s agents in your area. It takes only a few minutes, and it’s free.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Started<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n

Key takeaways<\/h2>\n

While California\u00a0<\/a>is<\/span>\u00a0undoubtedly an expensive state, there are definitely still great places to buy (relatively!) inexpensive homes. The median home price in 2022 in the U.S. is $436,800<\/a>, and the cities we\u2019ve shared here have median prices ranging from $222,000 to $510,000.<\/p>\n

As always, remember that there\u2019s no better partner for finding your dream home in California than a great real estate agent<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Header Image Source: (Mark Neal \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have looked at home prices all over California: Here are the cheapest places in the Golden State to buy a house in 2022. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":33342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,638,641],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-house-hunting","category-find-home"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Look beyond San Francisco and LA, and you'll find some of the cheapest places to buy a house in California.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 of the Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Look beyond San Francisco and LA, and you'll find some of the cheapest places to buy a house in California.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-08T17:20:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T13:46:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Taryn Tacher\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Taryn Tacher\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California","description":"Look beyond San Francisco and LA, and you'll find some of the cheapest places to buy a house in California.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 of the Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California","og_description":"Look beyond San Francisco and LA, and you'll find some of the cheapest places to buy a house in California.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/","og_site_name":"HomeLight Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","article_published_time":"2023-06-08T17:20:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-09T13:46:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Taryn Tacher","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gohomelight","twitter_site":"@gohomelight","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Taryn Tacher","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/"},"author":{"name":"Taryn Tacher","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/772b69591d577ec63e06b03a6077de08"},"headline":"10 of the Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California","datePublished":"2023-06-08T17:20:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-09T13:46:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/"},"wordCount":1251,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png","articleSection":["Buyers","House Hunting","What's Out There?"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/","name":"10 Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png","datePublished":"2023-06-08T17:20:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-09T13:46:15+00:00","description":"Look beyond San Francisco and LA, and you'll find some of the cheapest places to buy a house in California.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california.png","width":1500,"height":800,"caption":"Source: (Mark Neal \/ Unsplash)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-cheapest-place-to-buy-a-house-in-california\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 of the Cheapest Places to Buy a House in California"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","name":"HomeLight Blog","description":"Real Estate Advice from America's Top Agents","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"HomeLight","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","width":1348,"height":262,"caption":"HomeLight"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","https:\/\/x.com\/gohomelight","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/homelight\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCimugR9XF17-OZ7B9fNnxWw","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HomeLight"],"description":"Everything you need to know to sell your house faster and for more money. Articles, guides, and advice from top agents all over the U.S.","email":"support@homelight.com","telephone":"(888) 688-0350","legalName":"HomeLight","foundingDate":"2012-01-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"201","maxValue":"500"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/772b69591d577ec63e06b03a6077de08","name":"Taryn Tacher","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9b9ac2838730347a5ee0ea3b8ea7ffe476298af354c12f097bc6fa2b9441b95?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9b9ac2838730347a5ee0ea3b8ea7ffe476298af354c12f097bc6fa2b9441b95?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Taryn Tacher"},"description":"Taryn Tacher is the senior editorial operations manager and senior editor for HomeLight's Resource Centers. With eight years of editorial and operations experience, she previously managed editorial operations at Contently and content partnerships at Conde Nast. Taryn holds a bachelor's from the University of Florida College of Journalism, and she's written for GQ, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Allure, and Variety.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/taryn-tacher\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/author\/taryn-tacher\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}