San Benito County, California Housing Market Prices
San Benito 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 About the same as the California median$653,703
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Median rent 2% below the California median More expensive than 72% of counties in California$1,991
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Benito County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $653,703 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 10.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,991 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.4% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Benito County is about the same as in California. Rent is about 2% 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 San Benito County, up about 10.1% and 5.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Benito County rose about 47.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,352 to $1,991. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.6 yearly household incomes in San Benito County.
Buying the median-priced home in San Benito County costs roughly 27.4 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 San Benito County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | San Benito County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $653,703 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $115,991 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.6 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Benito County rose about 233.4%, while median household income rose about 54.8% between 2009 and 2025 — 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 | San Benito County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.5% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 30.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 3.6% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Benito County has a homeownership rate of 65.5%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.6%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Benito County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 3.25 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1987 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Benito County was built around 1987. On average, 3.3 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
San Benito County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
San Benito County, CA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 67,290 residents against a local median of 437,328. The measure that sets San Benito County, CA apart most is homeownership: 67.9%, 23% above the local median of 55.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $653,703 against a local median of $782,751, 16% below it. The counties themselves spread 9.1% on homeownership, so San Benito County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Benito County, CA has the highest homeownership of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County, CA | 67,290 | $653,703 #4/6 | $1,991 #4/6 | 67.9% #1/6 |
| Monterey County, CA | 437,328 | $782,751 | $2,055 | 52.1% |
| Merced County, CA | 290,118 | $343,279 | $1,342 | 54.0% |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $1,378,776 | $2,856 | 55.1% |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 553,305 | $451,701 | $1,622 | 61.2% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $1,111,762 | $2,264 | 59.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Benito County, California.
What is the median home price in San Benito County, California?
The median home price in San Benito County, California is $653,703, about the same as the California average.
What is the average home price in San Benito County, California?
The typical home price in San Benito County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $653,703. 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 San Benito County, California?
The median gross rent in San Benito County, California is $1,991 per month, lower than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in San Benito County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Benito County, California was $1,533 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Benito County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Benito County, California is about 27.4, meaning it would take roughly 27.4 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 San Benito County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Benito County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Benito County, up about 10.1% and 5.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Benito County, California?
65.5% of households in San Benito County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Benito County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Benito County, California is 3.6%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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