1st Quarter 2026 Housing Affordability
- May 12
- 1 min read
Housing affordability in California reaches a four-year high in first-quarter 2026, C.A.R. reports
Declining interest rates and falling home prices made it possible for more Californians to afford a home purchase.
Twenty-two percent of California households could afford to buy an $843,390 median-priced home in the first quarter of 2026, up from 21 percent in fourth-quarter 2025 and up from 19 percent in first-quarter 2025.
A minimum annual income of $204,800 was needed to make monthly payments of $5,120, including principal, interest, and taxes on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at a 6.24 percent interest rate.
Nearly one-third (32 percent) of home buyers were able to afford a condo or townhome at a median price of $648,000, requiring a monthly payment of $3,930 and a minimum annual income of $157,200.
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