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 | Plumas County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $459,210 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.8% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,034 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.0% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Plumas County is about 28% lower than in California. Rent is about 47% 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 Plumas County, up about 5.8% and 3.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Plumas County rose about 23.7% between 2015 and 2023, from $835 to $1,034. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 6.8 yearly household incomes in Plumas County.
Buying the median-priced home in Plumas County costs roughly 37.0 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 Plumas County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $459,210 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $67,896 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 6.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Plumas County rose about 33.9%, while median household income rose about 51.5% between 2009 and 2023 — 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 | Plumas County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 40.1% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 13.5% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 46.4% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Plumas County has a homeownership rate of 40.1%, lower than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 46.4%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.38 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1979 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Plumas County was built around 1979. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Plumas County, California.
What is the median home price in Plumas County, California?
The median home price in Plumas County, California is $459,210, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Plumas 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 Plumas County, California?
The median gross rent in Plumas County, California is $1,034 per month, lower than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Plumas County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Plumas County, California was $943 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Plumas County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Plumas County, California is about 37.0, meaning it would take roughly 37.0 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 Plumas County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Plumas County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Plumas County, up about 5.8% and 3.0% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Plumas County, California?
40.1% of households in Plumas County, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Plumas County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Plumas County, California is 46.4%, higher than the California average of 7.6%.