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California’s reputation as an expensive place to live is well-documented. There are affordable housing options, though — if you know where in the state to look.
GOBankingRates has done some of the legwork for you. The result is a list of California locales that offer decent livability scores, along with average home values well below the lofty state average (nearly $800,000 for a single-family home).
Find Out: How Much House Does $300K, $400K and $500K Buy You in Every State?
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To compile its list, GBR analyzed data from Zillow, AreaVibes, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve. Cities were weighted based on how they rank in multiple categories, and an overall score was determined — producing a list of the nation’s best blends of affordability and livability.
You won’t find famously expensive places like San Francisco or Beverly Hills in this list, but check out these other options.
Also see America’s best hidden gem markets.
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Average home value in city: $523,780
Amount below average home value in state: $274,263
Average monthly mortgage: $2,998
Livability: 75
Median household income: $63,090
This central California locale sits about 150 miles south of San Jose along U.S. 101. With fewer than 14,000 residents, King City is the smallest city in GBR’s top 15. The total cost of living here comes in around $5,300 a month.
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Find More: The Cheapest Place To Buy a Home in Every State
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Average home value in city: $491,883
Amount below average home value in state: $306,160
Average monthly mortgage: $2,816
Livability: 73
Median household income: $83,753
Sacramento, the state capital, is situated in northern California about 90 miles northeast of San Francisco. Sacramento is the most populous city in the list, with about 524,000 residents. With homes here valued more than $300,000 below the state average, Sacramento offers a strong blend of livability and affordability.
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Average home value in city: $544,926
Amount below average home value in state: $253,117
Average monthly mortgage: $3,119
Livability: 76
Median household income: $90,791
West Sacramento sits directly across the Sacramento River from downtown Sacramento. It’s a decent-sized city in its own right, with about 54,000 residents, and it boasts an AreaVibes livability score a few ticks higher than its larger neighbor. West Sacramento’s average cost of living comes in around $5,300 a month.
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Average home value in city: $618,001
Amount below average home value in state: $180,042
Average monthly mortgage: $3,538
Livability: 79
Median household income: $108,580
You’ll find Vacaville in northern California, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento. Vacaville’s livability score ranks first among cities in GBR’s list. Vacaville also has the highest median household income.
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Average home value in city: $467,624
Amount below average home value in state: $330,419
Average monthly mortgage: $2,677
Livability: 74
Median household income: $67,929
Chico sits at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains about 90 miles north of Sacramento. Average single-family home values come in significantly below the state average, and the total cost of living sits at less than $5,000 a month.
See More: 5 Cities Where Homes Will Be a Total Steal in 2 Years
Average home value in city: $377,391
Amount below average home value in state: $420,652
Average monthly mortgage: $2,160
Livability: 70
Median household income: $67,989
This central California locale is found about 120 miles north of Los Angeles. Shafter’s livability score is tied for lowest on the list, but you can get a home here for $400,000 less than the state average. The cost of living averages about $4,300 a month.
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Average home value in city: $378,727
Amount below average home value in state: $419,316
Average monthly mortgage: $2,168
Livability: 72
Median household income: $56,093
El Centro sits near the U.S.-Mexico border, roughly 120 miles east of San Diego. El Centro’s median household income is the second lowest among cities on the list. Its average monthly cost of living, about $4,200, is third lowest.
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Average home value in city: $398,145
Amount below average home value in state: $399,898
Average monthly mortgage: $2,279
Livability: 72
Median household income: $79,952
Visalia is located about 45 miles southeast of Fresno in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. With about 143,000 residents, Visalia is the second-largest city on GBR’s list (trailing only Sacramento). The average home value here comes in nearly $400,000 below California’s state average, and the average cost of living is a relatively reasonable $4,400 a month.
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Average home value in city: $524,023
Amount below average home value in state: $274,020
Average monthly mortgage: $3,000
Livability: 78
Median household income: $100,360
Another San Joaquin Valley city, Clovis is found just northeast of Fresno. The median household income in Clovis ranks it second among cities on this list. The average monthly cost of living in Clovis pencils out to about $5,100.
Read More: 10 Cities Where Home Values Are Rising in 2025
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Average home value in city: $448,134
Amount below average home value in state: $349,909
Average monthly mortgage: $2,565
Livability: 76
Median household income: $72,322
You’ll find Yuba City about 40 miles north of Sacramento. Yuba City’s AreaVibes livability score ties for second highest among cities listed. The average total monthly cost of living here comes in around $4,800.
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Average home value in city: $400,681
Amount below average home value in state: $397,362
Average monthly mortgage: $2,294
Livability: 75
Median household income: $59,938
Merced sits along State Route 99, roughly 110 miles southeast of Sacramento and about 270 miles north of Los Angeles. With average home prices coming in nearly $400,000 below state averages, Merced offers a less expensive alternative in a famously expensive state.
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Average home value in city: $394,762
Amount below average home value in state: $403,281
Average monthly mortgage: $2,260
Livability: 75
Median household income: $69,443
This northern California city sits about 160 miles north of Sacramento and roughly 120 miles south of the Oregon border. Redding’s average monthly cost of living ($4,438) is the third highest among the cities in GBR’s top 15.
Also Read: 4 Housing Markets That Have Plummeted in Value Over the Past 5 Years
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Average home value in city: $375,055
Amount below average home value in state: $422,988
Average monthly mortgage: $2,147
Livability: 75
Median household income: $73,544
Hanford sits in California’s Central Valley, about 35 miles south of Fresno. Average home values in Hanford come in about $423,000 below the state average – the third largest difference among the cities in this list.
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Average home value in city: $273,927
Amount below average home value in state: $524,116
Average monthly mortgage: $1,568
Livability: 70
Median household income: $88,107
Ridgecrest is located in northeastern Kern County in the Indian Wells Valley. With a livability score of 70 (the cutoff for inclusion), this California city barely qualified for GBR’s top 30. But with average home values more than $500,000 lower than the state average, Ridgecrest may be worth a look if you’re on a tight budget.
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Blythe is situated along the California-Arizona border on the Colorado River, about 224 miles east of Los Angeles and 150 miles west of Phoenix. Average home values in Blythe come in about $565,000 lower than state averages, which is the largest delta among the cities in the top 15. Blythe also has the lowest median household income in the top 15.
Methodology: GOBankingRates used data from the Zillow Home Value Index, focusing on cities where the average single-family home value was at least $50,000 below the statewide average. Cities with a livability score below 70, sourced from AreaVibes, were excluded to ensure a baseline quality of life. Cost-of-living indexes were obtained from Sperling’s BestPlaces and paired with national average expenditure data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to estimate typical spending in each city. Assuming a 10% down payment and applying the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average monthly mortgage was calculated for each location. From there, the total cost of living was determined by combining mortgage and expenditure estimates. Each city was then scored and weighted using the following criteria: median household income (1.00), average mortgage cost (1.00), difference from statewide home value (2.00) and livability index (2.00). Final scores were then summed and ranked. The top 15 cities from California were then separated out. All data is current as of Sept. 2, 2025.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: California’s 15 Best Hidden Gem Housing Markets of 2025