Calculate your monthly mortgage payment in California. Pre-filled with California's typical home value of $764,200 (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026) and an effective property tax rate of 0.71% (Census ACS 2024 1-year, median taxes ÷ median home value).
Est. Monthly Payment
$4,850
Principal & Interest
$4,080
Property Tax / mo
$452
Total Interest Paid
$857,339
| Home Price | $764,200 | Typical home value in California — Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026 |
| Down Payment | 20% ($152,840) | Assumption — no sourced state average |
| Loan Amount | $611,360 | Home price minus down payment |
| Interest Rate | 7.03% | Freddie Mac PMMS national average, week of 2026-09-24 — not a California rate |
| Loan Term | 30 years | Assumption |
| Property Tax | 0.71% / year | California effective rate — Census ACS 2024 1-year, median taxes ÷ median home value |
| Home Insurance | 0.5% / year | Assumption — not a sourced premium |
Programs named for California: CalHFA Dream For All, CalHFA Conventional, MyHome Assistance. This list has no recorded source or date and may be out of date — confirm current programs and eligibility with the California housing finance agency before you rely on it.
Cost of living: Very High (index 140.3, MERIC (C2ER index), Second Quarter 2026) · Population: 39,355,309 (Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025)
California has a typical home value of about $764,200 (Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026), above the U.S. typical value of $368,700. With an assumed 20% down payment of $152,840, a buyer would finance $611,360 over 30 years. At the national 7.03% fixed rate, the monthly principal and interest payment comes to $4,080.
The effective property tax rate in California — median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value — is 0.71% per year (Census ACS 2024 1-year, median taxes ÷ median home value), against 0.89% for the U.S. Combined with an assumed $318 a month for homeowners insurance, the estimated all-in monthly housing cost is about $4,850.
Using the 28% housing cost guideline, you would need a gross annual income of approximately $207,845 to qualify comfortably. The median household income in California is $100,149 (Census ACS 2024 1-year).
