Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $399,927 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.6% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,369 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.6% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Butte County is about 38% lower than in California. Rent is about 30% lower than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Butte County, up about 9.6% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Butte County rose about 51.2% between 2015 and 2023, from $905 to $1,369. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.8 yearly household incomes in Butte County.
Buying the median-priced home in Butte County costs roughly 24.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Butte County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $399,927 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $68,773 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Butte County rose about 137.9%, while median household income rose about 63.8% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 52.6% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 37.7% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.7% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Butte County has a homeownership rate of 52.6%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.7%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.47 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1979 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Butte County was built around 1979. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.1 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Butte County, California.
What is the median home price in Butte County, California?
The median home price in Butte County, California is $399,927, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Butte County, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Butte County, California?
The median gross rent in Butte County, California is $1,369 per month, lower than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Butte County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Butte County, California was $1,086 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Butte County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Butte County, California is about 24.3, meaning it would take roughly 24.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Butte County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Butte County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Butte County, up about 9.6% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Butte County, California?
52.6% of households in Butte County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Butte County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Butte County, California is 9.7%, higher than the California average of 7.6%.