California Mortgage Calculator
This planning example uses a $759,500 home value—the 2024 ACS median for owner-occupied homes in California—with 20% down and a 30-year fixed mortgage. The rate is the Freddie Mac national weekly average as of July 30, 2026; it is not a California rate, a personal quote or an offer to lend. Customize the inputs with a property-specific tax bill, insurance quote and lender rate.
State planning scenario
| Down payment (20%) | $151,900 |
|---|---|
| Mortgage principal | $607,600 |
| 30-year fixed rate | 6.66% |
| Principal & interest | $3,904.60/month |
| Property tax | $447.41/month |
| Homeowners insurance | $124.33/month |
| PMI | $0.00/month |
| HOA dues | $0.00/month |
| Estimated total | $4,476.34/month |
PMI is $0 in this example because the starting loan-to-value ratio is 80%. Change the down payment in the calculator to model a higher LTV. HOA dues default to $0 because there is no reliable statewide amount.
What is localized for California?
| Median owner-occupied home value | $759,500 (ACS 2024) |
|---|---|
| Property-tax planning proxy | 0.71% (ACS 2024) |
| Annual HO-3 insurance average | $1,492 (NAIC 2022) |
The tax percentage is median annual real-estate taxes paid divided by median home value. It is a ratio of statewide medians—not a statutory rate or a parcel-level effective rate. The insurance figure is a historical statewide average across policies and coverage amounts, not a current quote. Flood, earthquake, wind or other separate coverage may not be included.
How California compares with the rest of the country
The median owner-occupied home in California is 111% above the national median of $360,600, which makes it the 2nd-most expensive state of the 50. The property-tax proxy ranks 32nd and the homeowners-insurance average ranks 23rd. Together, taxes and insurance account for 13% of the monthly payment modelled above.
| Planning input | California | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $759,500 | $360,600 | 2nd |
| Property-tax proxy | 0.71% | 0.89% | 32nd |
| Annual insurance average | $1,492 | $1,569 | 23rd |
Rank 1 is the highest of the 50 states. Carrying the payment above at the standard 28% front-end ratio takes roughly $192,000 of annual household income before other debts — see house affordability by income to work backwards from what you earn.
States with a similar median home value: Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Hawaii.
What to check before trusting this estimate in California
The down payment is the binding constraint at these prices. Twenty percent of the California median is about $152,000. Below that threshold the estimate above changes shape: PMI appears, and the loan may cross the $832,750 conforming baseline into jumbo pricing with its own reserve and credit requirements. High-cost county limits run up to $1,249,125, so check the county before assuming which set of rules applies.
Homebuyer resources in California
California Housing Finance Agency is the state's housing finance agency. Programs, funding, income limits, purchase-price limits and eligibility can change; verify details directly with the agency before relying on them.
2026 county loan limits
In most of the United States, the 2026 one-unit conforming baseline is $832,750, with a general high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125. The general one-unit FHA floor is $541,287 and the general ceiling is $1,249,125. County limits vary, and higher special statutory limits apply in Alaska and Hawaii. Check the property county in the FHFA conforming-limit files and HUD's FHA limit lookup.
Sources and limitations
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS, median home value
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS, real-estate taxes paid
- NAIC homeowners insurance report
- NCSHA state housing finance agency directory
Review our calculator methodology and test examples and source definitions and formula changelog. Replace every default with a property tax bill, insurance quote and lender Loan Estimate before making a decision.
