New Study Ranks 10 Most Affordable Places To Live In CA. Here's Where

LOS ANGELES, CA — Though California has a well-earned a reputation for sky-high home prices, a new study highlights ten cities in the Golden State where affordability isn't an illusion.

A study released by Houzeo, a real estate platform that helps homeowners sell their properties, indicates affordability isn't out of reach for California in at least 10 cities.

Subscribe

Houzeo compiled the list of affordable cities with analysis using multiple data sources and indicators of affordability, including median home prices, median rent data, the national Cost of Living Index; and overall cost of living, which included data on housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods from the Council for Community and Economic Research.

The top 10 places in California with the highest affordability, ranked in order from most to least affordable, include:

1. Porterville
Median home value: $325,000
Median house rent: $1,358
Cost of living compared to state average: 12 percent
Affordability Score: 8.7

2. Fresno
Median home value: $388,567
Median house rent: $1,975
Cost of living compared to state average: 22 percent
Affordability Score: 8.5

3. Bakersfield
Median home value: $441,009
Median house rent: $1,995
Cost of living compared to state average: 18 percent
Affordability Score: 8.4

4. Tulare
Median home value: $458,693
Median house rent: $1,650
Cost of living compared to state average: 27 percent
Affordability Score: 8.4

5. Eureka
Median home value: $418,081
Median house rent: $1,600
Cost of living compared to state average: 21 percent
Affordability Score: 8.3

6. Visalia
Median home value: $511,736
Median house rent: $2,400
Cost of living compared to state average: 24 percent
Affordability Score: 8.2

7. Stockton
Median home value: $317,272
Median house rent: $1,595
Cost of living compared to state average: 25 percent
Affordability Score: 7.9

8. Chico
Median home value: $340,290
Median house rent: $1,850
Cost of living compared to state average: 8 percent
Affordability Score: 7.4

9. Sacramento
Median home value: $385,163
Median house rent: $1,895
Cost of living compared to state average: 14 percent
Affordability Score: 7.3

10. Clovis
Median home value: $479,880
Median house rent: $1,995
Cost of living compared to state average: 11 percent
Affordability Score: 6.7

Houzeo said it relied on housing data from 2022 to 2025 to identify cities that remained affordable over time. Each city's data was also validated with HUD and state economic reports.