Looking to buy a house in California? These 10 counties had the cheapest prices last month
Are you looking to buy a house in California?
From August to September, the median home sales price in California dropped from $888,740 to $868,150, according to the most recent data from the California Association of Realtors.
Despite this decrease, the statewide median price has climbed 2.9% since September 2023.
The Realtors group said home sales in the state slowed significantly over the past month, hitting their lowest point in nine months.
“Economic uncertainty and hopes for lower interest rates may have caused many buyers to hold off on a home purchase,” Jordan Levine, the association’s senior vice president, said in a news release. “As a result, home sales declined for the second consecutive month, reaching their lowest level this year.”
However, mortgage rates are always fluctuating, Levine said, so “waiting may not be the best strategy when it comes to homebuying.”
According to Zillow, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate in California was 6.28%, as of Monday, Oct. 21.
As home prices are expected to ease further in the coming months, the realtors group said, the coming months “could offer an opportunity for potential buyers who have been waiting to re-enter the market.”
According to the most recent data collected from the California Association of Realtors, here’s where you can find affordable housing options across the state:
Where are the cheapest places to buy a house in California?
California’s most affordable home prices can be primarily found in Northern California and Central Valley, the realtors group reported.
According to the September home and sales report, these 10 California counties had home prices below the state median of $868,150:
1. Trinity County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $274,500
- Region: Northern California
2. Lassen County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $265,000
- Region: Northern California
3. Siskiyou County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $290,000
- Region: Northern California
4. Tehama County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $320,000
- Region: Northern California
5. Mariposa County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $322,500
- Region: Central Valley
6. Lake County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $335,000
- Region: Northern California
7. Glenn County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $348,000
- Region: Central Valley
8. Tuolumne County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $357,500
- Region: Central Valley
9. Del Norte County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $370,000
- Region: Northern California
10. Shasta County
- Median sold price of existing single-family homes: $374,500
- Region: Northern California
Where are the most expensive homes in California?
According to the California Association of Realtors, the most expensive home prices in the state can be primarily found in the Bay Area.
Bay Area housing costs surpassed $2 million in September.
Southern California had the second-highest home prices, with the median sold price of existing single-family homes at $850,000.
These five counties had the highest median sold prices for existing single-family homes in September:
- San Mateo County — $2,100,000
- Santa Clara County — $1,927,500
- Marin County — $1,750,000
- San Francisco County — $1,625,000
- Orange County — $1,397,450
How much do homes cost in my area?
Find the full list of home prices by California county on the association’s website.
