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CALIFORNIA GUIDES

California real estate guides

Plain-English guides to buying, selling and living in California: where to live, what homes and insurance cost, how Prop 13 and Prop 19 work, and the rules for HOAs, ADUs and disclosures. Every figure is dated and sourced, and each guide links to the local pages when you are ready to narrow your search.

Updated November 2, 2026 · California Housing Prices

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How to use these guides

Start with the question you are trying to answer. If you are still choosing where to live, begin with the rankings and city comparisons, then open the local guides for the places on your shortlist. If you already know the area, the tax, insurance and HOA guides cover the costs and rules that most often change a budget after an offer.

Numbers come from named sources: Redfin and Zillow research data, Freddie Mac, the US Census, the California State Board of Equalization, the Department of Insurance, county assessors and California statutes. Each guide lists its sources at the end, and every figure carries the month it describes. For prices in a specific county or ZIP code, use the California market data pages, updated monthly.

49 of the 49 statewide guides below are published; the rest are marked as coming.

Where to live in California

Rankings and shortlists by region, budget and lifestyle, built from public housing and Census figures.

California market and costs

What homes cost, what living here costs and where prices are heading, with county and ZIP data updated monthly.

Market data by county

Median sale price, sales, inventory and days on market for all 58 counties and 1,136 ZIP codes, updated monthly. See all California counties →

Moving and city comparisons

Side-by-side comparisons of prices, taxes, rent and commutes, for moves within California and out of it.

Buying and selling

The process step by step, the programs that help first-time buyers, and what sellers must disclose.

Taxes and fees

Prop 13, Prop 19, special taxes and the taxes due when you buy or sell, with the statute or agency page cited for every rule.

Property tax by county

Rates, assessor contacts, due dates and local special taxes for each county.

Insurance and property risk

Getting and paying for homeowners insurance, the FAIR Plan, and the wildfire and earthquake rules that shape both.

Condos, HOAs and ADUs

The rules for owners in associations and for adding a unit to your lot.

Local guides by city

Each city guide covers prices, neighborhoods, cost of living, schools data and a featured local agent. All locations →

Common questions

Are these guides a substitute for professional advice?+

No. They explain the rules and the numbers so you can ask better questions. For a specific purchase or sale, check the details with a licensed agent, an attorney, a tax adviser or the county office named in the guide. Laws and program limits change, so each guide gives the date of the source it uses.

How often are the figures updated?+

Market figures from Redfin and Zillow are refreshed every month when new data is published, and mortgage rates follow Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Rules, tax rates and program limits are checked when the source agency publishes a change, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.

Where do the numbers come from?+

From named public sources: Redfin and Zillow research data for prices, the US Census American Community Survey for incomes and rents, Freddie Mac for mortgage rates, and the Board of Equalization, Department of Insurance, county assessors and California statutes for rules and tax rates.

Can California Housing Prices introduce me to a local agent?+

Yes. Use the form on any page and say where you are buying or selling. We pass your enquiry to the featured local agent for that place, a licensed California agent. You are under no obligation to work with them.

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