Housing in California

A typical California home is worth roughly $119,000

Typical home value

$119K

MI $266K

Estimate

2-bedroom rent

$1,120

a month, utilities in · HUD

Median tax bill

$1,330

MI $2,904

What kind of housing town is California?

Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.

Your money goes further55% below the Michigan typical home.A town of owners91% of households own their home.

★ What stands out · Affordability

A typical home costs 2.5 years of income

Less than across Michigan (3.7 years). Try your own numbers below.

You could afford about

$178,000

Typical California home $119K

That covers a typical California home, with $58K to spare.

The typical home, each month

$740

Loan $590Tax $110Insurance $30

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,120 a month here, $380 more than owning.

Where your budget reaches nearby

Kinderhook$231K Camden$254K Algansee$232K Fremont$368K

An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, California’s typical property tax (1.11% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.

The homes

91% of California households own their home

Half of California’s homes were built before 1982.

Owners and renters

Own 91%Rent 9%

Michigan: 73% own.

1982

typical home built · MI 1972

$1,330

median property tax bill · MI $2,904

1.11%

of a home’s value, a year in tax · MI 1.25%

of homes are seasonal or vacation homes

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024.

Renting

A two-bedroom rents for about $1,120

Renters already here pay a median of $1,100.

Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included

Studio$780

1 bedroom$920

2 bedrooms$1,120

3 bedrooms$1,460

4 bedrooms$1,500

of households rent · MI 27%

renter households

of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent · MI 50%

28%

of the median income, for a two-bedroom

$1,100

median rent paid today · Census

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Branch County, MI): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Next door

California vs. its neighbors

California is the least expensive of 5 neighboring towns. Tap one to see its housing page.

Fremont$368K Camden$254K Algansee$232K Kinderhook$231K California$119K

Compare more

Town	Typical value	1-yr change	2-bed rent	Median income
California	$119K*	—	$1,120	$47,206
Kinderhook	$231K*	+4.4%†	$1,010	$83,348
Camden	$254K	+6.8%	$1,050	$51,875
Algansee	$232K*	+16.1%†	$970	$77,978
Fremont	$368K	+5.8%	$1,280	$67,391

Typical value: Zillow Home Value Index; * Census median home value where Zillow has none. † FHFA price index change where Zillow has none. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. New homes: Census building permits.

Neighbors talk housing

What California buyers, sellers and renters are saying.

Town Square →

Weigh in

Is California still affordable for young families?

Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.

Start the conversation

Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer.