Mendocino County, California Housing Market Prices
Mendocino County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 21% below the California median$513,099
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Median rent 35% below the California median$1,317
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $513,099 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 4.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,317 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Mendocino County is about 21% lower than in California. Rent is about 35% lower than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mendocino County, up about 4.1% and 3.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Mendocino County rose about 37.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $960 to $1,317. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 7.5 yearly household incomes in Mendocino County.
Buying the median-priced home in Mendocino County costs roughly 32.5 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 Mendocino County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $513,099 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $68,620 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.5 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Mendocino County rose about 14.2%, while median household income rose about 49.8% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.6% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 32.0% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 16.4% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 |
Mendocino County has a homeownership rate of 51.6%, about the same as the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 16.4%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.52 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1977 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Mendocino County was built around 1977. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 4.8 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Mendocino County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Mendocino County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 90,240 residents against a local median of 48,320. Where Mendocino County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 40% above the local median of $365,764 at $513,099.
The counties themselves spread $471,551 on median home price, so Mendocino County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mendocino County, CA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County, CA | 90,240 | $513,099 #2/5 | $1,317 #3/5 | 61.7% #4/5 |
| Lake County, CA | 68,148 | $355,339 | $1,368 | 72.2% |
| Sonoma County, CA | 485,012 | $667,194 | $2,158 | 62.6% |
| Glenn County, CA | 28,492 | $376,190 | $1,119 | 61.2% |
| Colusa County, CA | 21,984 | $195,643 | $1,157 | 62.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Mendocino County, California.
What is the median home price in Mendocino County, California?
The median home price in Mendocino County, California is $513,099, lower than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Mendocino County, California?
The typical home price in Mendocino County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $513,099. 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 Mendocino County, California?
The median gross rent in Mendocino County, California is $1,317 per month, lower than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Mendocino County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Mendocino County, California was $1,134 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Mendocino County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Mendocino County, California is about 32.5, meaning it would take roughly 32.5 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 Mendocino County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Mendocino County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mendocino County, up about 4.1% and 3.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Mendocino County, California?
51.6% of households in Mendocino County, California own their home, about the same as the California average.
What is the vacancy rate in Mendocino County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Mendocino County, California is 16.4%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
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