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.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Modesto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $418,477 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 12.3% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,586 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.5% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Modesto is about 35% lower than in California. Rent is about 19% 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 Modesto, up about 12.3% and 6.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Modesto rose about 60.4% between 2015 and 2023, from $989 to $1,586. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.4 yearly household incomes in Modesto.
Buying the median-priced home in Modesto costs roughly 22.0 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 Modesto. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Modesto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $418,477 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $77,187 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Modesto rose about 156.9%, while median household income rose about 56.0% 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 | Modesto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 55.3% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 40.4% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.3% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Modesto has a homeownership rate of 55.3%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.3%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Modesto | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.97 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1975 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Modesto was built around 1975. On average, 3.0 people live in a home with about 5.3 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Modesto, California.
What is the median home price in Modesto, California?
The median home price in Modesto, California is $418,477, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Modesto, 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 Modesto, California?
The median gross rent in Modesto, California is $1,586 per month, lower than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Modesto in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Modesto, California was $1,232 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Modesto, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Modesto, California is about 22.0, meaning it would take roughly 22.0 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 Modesto.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Modesto, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Modesto, up about 12.3% and 6.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Modesto, California?
55.3% of households in Modesto, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Modesto, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Modesto, California is 4.3%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.