The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In California In 2024


The most affordable places to live in California for 2024 are Calipatria, Holtville, and El Centro according to Saturday Night Science.

While it’s true that the Golden State is synonymous with expensive real estate and high home prices, there are still very small pockets of affordability. The cheapest places to live in California are like hidden gems in a state known for its high cost of living.

The key to finding these affordable areas in California is to compare home prices and rents to local incomes.

We used Saturday Night Science to compare the ratio of home prices and rents to incomes across every place in California over 5,000 people. The fact of the matter is you’re gonna need to earn more in California to find a place to live.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary


The 10 most affordable places to live in California

  1. Calipatria
  2. Holtville
  3. El Centro
  4. Brawley
  5. Susanville
  6. Clearlake
  7. California City
  8. Calexico
  9. Corcoran
  10. Mendota

Most Affordable Cities In California Map

What is the cheapest place to live in California for 2024? The cheapest place to live in California is Calipatria based on housing costs and incomes. Calipatria is still expensive but cheaper than its California neighbors.

San Francisco and Los Angeles are not on this list if the most affordable cities in California.

Obviously.

Check out some more reading about California and the cheapest places in the country:

The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In California For 2024

Calipatria, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,579
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $43,095
Median Home Price: $226,274
Median Rent: $832

Calipatria, California’s most affordable city, offers a California-sized economic haven with its “Californian low” $226,274 home prices and $832 resnts.

Located in Imperial County, 2+ hours east of San Diego near the Salton Sea, it’s understandable why the cost of living here is lower. Calipatria’s 85 cost of living index score is mainly due to low housing costs. For cheap things to do, consider Salvation Mountain or the Salton Sea Wildlife Refuge.

More on Calipatria: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Holtville, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,620
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 91
Median Income: $44,939
Median Home Price: $310,017
Median Rent: $716

Where the 7 meets the 8 down by the US/Mexico border, is our second most affordable city in California: Holtville.

This little California gem is 144th when it comes to home price to income ratio. We’re not surprised it’s so affordable. And we definitely think it’s because they have such a strong agricultural economy with an emphasis on carrots. Yes, carrots. Holtville is “The Carrot Capital of the World”. Not only is the carrot industry strong in Holtville, but so is the sunshine. And since sunshine makes people happy, and obviously motivated, we’re pretty sure you’ll want to call the affordable Holtville home.

More on Holtville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

El Centro, CA

Source: Wikipedia User [2] | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 44,184
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $54,922
Median Home Price: $336,547
Median Rent: $938

Located just across the U.S.-Mexico border from the city of Mexicali, El Centro ranks as the third most affordable city in the state. California may have the second highest rent in America, but folks in El Centro wouldn’t know anything about that. The median rent in El Centro is $938, which is about three times lower than the statewide average. El Centro residents earn a median income of $54,922 and pay a median price of $336,547 for homes.

Whether you’re renting or buying, El Centro is an affordable city with easy access to our southern neighbors.

More on El Centro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Brawley, CA

Source: Wikipedia User en:User:Epolk Eric Polk | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 26,509
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $56,229
Median Home Price: $305,267
Median Rent: $926

Another Salton Sea savings enclave, Brawley ranks as the fourth cheapest in California.

You can afford to be your inner cowboy in Brawley as you can go on an adventure at the Imperial Sand Dunes or wear your cowboy hat at the Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo. When you’re not having fun, your wallet will save on expenses like groceries and services, which rank amongst the lowest in California.

More on Brawley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Susanville, CA

Source: Wikipedia User ShakataGaNai | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 15,737
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 95
Median Income: $52,997
Median Home Price: $236,618
Median Rent: $918

Susanville should be on your radar if you’re looking for an affordable place to live in California. Housing costs are significantly lower than the state average, with a median home value of $236,618 and a median rent of $918.

But affordability is only one reason to consider Susanvilles as your next home. Located on the Susan River at an elevation of over 4,000 feet, this small city boasts stunning scenery and outdoor recreation opportunities. And despite its small size with a population of 15,737, there’s plenty to do in town, from exploring the Lassen National Forest to check out the local shops and restaurants.

More on Susanville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Clearlake, CA

Source: Flickr User twofordssearchin | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 16,612
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $41,047
Median Home Price: $216,743
Median Rent: $1,069

Clearlake, located in Lake County about 2 hours northeast of Sacramento, is clearly one of the most affordable cities in California. You’ll be awash in cash as the city has an overall cost of living that is 30.9% lower than the California average.

Housing is particularly economical with the second lowest median home value and a median rent within reach on average incomes. You can take the savings even further by doing activities on Clear Lake or hiking in Mendocino National Forest.

More on Clearlake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

California City, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Craig Dietrich | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 15,002
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $55,410
Median Home Price: $273,102
Median Rent: $950

In Antelope Valley of Kern County, you’ll find California City. This city of 15,002 people has a cost of living index of 96 index, which is 43 points better than the state average.

It’s ranked seventh because of cost metrics like a $273,102 median home value and a transportation index of 117.

And what could be better than visiting the Desert Tortoise Natural Area on the weekend with family?

More on California City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Review Of California City by HomeSnacks User

it’s very nice.n the years after World War II California became an encouraging model for the nation. It was admired and envied for the quality of its education system, its environment, and its progressive social outlook. However, beginning with the passage of the tax-cutting Proposition 13 in 1978, the state has pursued a determined course of retrenchment and reaction, sending it tumbling to the bottom of the nation’s “quality of life” rankings

all are good. large, high-intensity wildfires are an inevitable and natural part of life in California. The destruction of our communities is not. But many of the political leaders we elect and planning agencies we depend upon to create safe communities have failed us. They have allowed developers to build in harm’s way, and left firefighters holding the bag.

Calexico, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Omar Bárcena | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 38,599
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $51,667
Median Home Price: $337,495
Median Rent: $1,087

Calexico, the eighth most affordable city in the Golden State, is as close to Mexico as you can be without going over the border. It maintains a cost of living index at 97, attracting residents with its lower-than-average expenses.

The city’s affordability is complemented by its vibrant international culture and strategic position for transportation. Furthermore, Calexico’s low $1,087 median rent means you have more for fun things to do like playing with the kids in Adrian C. Cordova Park.

More on Calexico: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Corcoran, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 22,808
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $53,103
Median Home Price: $244,181
Median Rent: $994

Corcoran is located in Kings County within the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area – a true inland marvel an hour south of Fresno. It stands out for its $ 244,181 median home price that makes homeownership attainable in California and a $994 rent.

Affordable things around Corcoran include a day trip to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park or an afternoon at Corcoran Community Park. Either way, you’ll spend less on groceries, services, and transportation than in other parts of the state.

More on Corcoran: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Mendota, CA

Source: Wikipedia User David Jordan at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 12,603
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $43,315
Median Home Price: $287,718
Median Rent: $832

In the heart of California’s Fresno County, Mendota makes our list of the cheapest places in California for 2024. These inland cities have much less expensive housing, which you trade-off for more rural living. You’ll be about an hour west of Fresno, providing most of the closest cultural entertainment.

Like much of the list, groceries and services are inexpensive in this part of California. And you’ll be able to buy a house for $287,718 in Mendota.

More on Mendota: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cheapest places to live in California FAQs

The county in California with the lowest cost of living is San Joaquin County. The average living wage in San Joaquin County is $101,058 according to MIT data. San Joaquin County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to California as a whole. Childcare costs $19,292 a year in San Joaquin County for two children compared to the California average of $22,259. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $15,240 per year in San Joaquin County compared to $23,682 on average in California.

The cost of living in California is 27.1% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in California is $114,059 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a California household is $78,672.

The cheapest housing market in California is Clearlake. The average home value in Clearlake is $124,400, the lowest in the state. The average home value in California is $538,500, almost 4.3 times higher than Clearlake.

Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Golden State for 2024

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In California
Determining affordability for places in California boils down to how much it costs to live here.

You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.

With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for California using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:

  • Housing
  • Transportation
  • Services
  • Groceries
  • Healthcare
  • Utilities

These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.

We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in California to figure out which is the least expensive.

The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 426 places in California that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.

The place in California with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Calipatria.

We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in California.

California Affordabilility Summary

This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in California for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in California.

The cheapest cities in California are Calipatria, Holtville, El Centro, Brawley, Susanville, Clearlake, California City, Calexico, Corcoran, and Mendota.

Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in California according to the data:

  1. Atherton
  2. Hillsborough
  3. Los Altos

For more California reading, check out:

Cheapest Places To Live In California

Rank City Population Cost Of Living Index Median Income Home Prices Rent
1 Calipatria 6,579 85 $43,095 $226,274 $832
2 Holtville 5,620 91 $44,939 $310,017 $716
3 El Centro 44,184 93 $54,922 $336,547 $938
4 Brawley 26,509 95 $56,229 $305,267 $926
5 Susanville 15,737 95 $52,997 $236,618 $918
6 Clearlake 16,612 96 $41,047 $216,743 $1,069
7 California City 15,002 96 $55,410 $273,102 $950
8 Calexico 38,599 97 $51,667 $337,495 $1,087
9 Corcoran 22,808 97 $53,103 $244,181 $994
10 Mendota 12,603 97 $43,315 $287,718 $832
11 Dos Palos 5,755 97 $51,230 $338,714 $1,070
12 Blythe 17,949 98 $52,377 $217,775 $890
13 Twentynine Palms 28,006 99 $51,392 $256,451 $1,196
14 Oroville 20,283 99 $46,362 $299,169 $1,033
15 Avenal 13,423 99 $51,902 $224,162 $1,043
16 Barstow 25,235 100 $52,200 $248,629 $978
17 Marysville 12,681 100 $52,012 $371,397 $1,098
18 Corning 8,196 100 $54,766 $281,416 $1,060
19 Firebaugh 8,139 100 $36,078 $301,352 $737
20 Woodlake 7,495 100 $44,719 $291,379 $856
21 Crescent City 6,379 100 $39,812 $347,757 $1,122
22 Huron 6,260 100 $43,664 $239,041 $942
23 Wasco 26,317 101 $48,109 $290,792 $924
24 Arvin 19,613 101 $47,997 $271,385 $1,075
25 Red Bluff 14,576 101 $47,367 $307,032 $1,068
26 McFarland 13,971 101 $42,641 $266,184 $1,024
27 Lindsay 12,581 101 $44,816 $282,082 $887
28 Farmersville 10,393 101 $52,714 $259,183 $890
29 Orange Cove 9,635 101 $33,671 $250,675 $899
30 Yreka 7,833 101 $46,387 $259,631 $949
31 Gridley 7,444 101 $56,428 $335,103 $1,116
32 Parlier 14,625 102 $50,026 $287,532 $976
33 Shasta Lake 10,361 102 $54,490 $290,779 $1,247
34 Hemet 89,651 103 $49,901 $425,611 $1,357
35 Merced 87,686 103 $59,233 $376,996 $1,197
36 Imperial 20,430 103 $83,029 $371,900 $1,300
37 Shafter 20,162 103 $66,418 $340,653 $1,138
38 Taft 7,414 103 $52,414 $192,032 $982
39 Coachella 42,279 104 $52,466 $407,051 $983
40 Dinuba 24,713 104 $54,590 $325,421 $1,082
41 Anderson 11,267 104 $45,896 $329,051 $979
42 Gustine 6,122 104 $51,636 $405,381 $1,299
43 Porterville 62,491 105 $55,785 $299,749 $1,086
44 San Jacinto 54,077 105 $73,682 $456,347 $1,495
45 Delano 50,498 105 $53,639 $309,574 $1,075
46 Desert Hot Springs 32,386 105 $45,863 $375,154 $1,240
47 Livingston 14,344 105 $70,918 $395,468 $1,121
48 Newman 12,275 105 $76,520 $424,833 $1,100
49 Waterford 9,165 105 $64,349 $405,576 $1,393
50 Colusa 6,380 105 $59,400 $358,065 $1,033
51 Hanford 57,920 106 $73,819 $349,518 $1,194
52 Atwater 31,841 106 $64,195 $394,070 $1,182
53 Chowchilla 18,772 106 $67,212 $364,844 $1,034
54 Coalinga 17,488 106 $68,976 $270,872 $935
55 Orland 8,221 106 $61,587 $380,973 $1,007
56 Williams 5,539 106 $84,457 $362,655 $1,125
57 Madera 66,784 107 $61,626 $384,320 $1,188
58 Los Banos 45,560 107 $76,164 $445,660 $1,433
59 Adelanto 37,960 107 $62,582 $373,041 $1,300
60 Ridgecrest 28,118 107 $85,872 $261,221 $1,133
61 Sanger 26,553 107 $69,333 $381,830 $1,102
62 Reedley 25,248 107 $61,629 $350,084 $1,139
63 Willows 6,201 107 $61,806 $303,672 $1,014
64 Victorville 134,417 108 $65,746 $413,567 $1,461
65 Ceres 49,183 108 $70,191 $434,791 $1,570
66 Selma 24,576 108 $53,874 $330,081 $1,151
67 Kerman 15,980 108 $53,956 $384,871 $1,118
68 Tehachapi 12,855 108 $62,788 $400,775 $1,165
69 Lakeport 5,014 108 $61,100 $369,775 $863
70 Visalia 141,466 109 $75,658 $369,497 $1,289
71 Tulare 69,261 109 $65,933 $325,247 $1,260
72 Banning 29,929 109 $54,083 $390,975 $1,404
73 Exeter 10,327 109 $65,750 $359,154 $1,184
74 Fresno 541,528 110 $63,001 $363,927 $1,227
75 Hesperia 99,878 110 $67,698 $428,607 $1,436
76 Lemoore 26,955 110 $78,366 $360,883 $1,347
77 San Bernardino 221,041 111 $61,323 $455,364 $1,319
78 Rancho Cordova 79,128 111 $85,099 $512,286 $1,599
79 Fowler 6,819 111 $56,410 $424,282 $1,072
80 Paradise 6,666 111 $54,842 $291,593 $1,185
81 Modesto 218,308 112 $73,375 $428,186 $1,497
82 Turlock 72,504 112 $74,559 $464,841 $1,389
83 Yuba City 69,535 112 $70,412 $429,439 $1,336
84 Eureka 26,519 112 $51,971 $419,877 $1,073
85 Kingsburg 12,490 112 $74,897 $427,355 $1,165
86 Calimesa 10,366 112 $74,236 $539,879 $1,656
87 Redding 93,327 113 $67,323 $383,089 $1,278
88 Cathedral City 51,964 113 $63,209 $485,677 $1,445
89 Riverbank 24,803 113 $89,504 $461,353 $1,427
90 Oakdale 23,120 113 $83,110 $533,976 $1,393
91 Guadalupe 8,272 113 $66,026 $508,275 $1,456
92 Stockton 320,030 114 $71,612 $428,288 $1,417
93 Lancaster 171,465 114 $71,367 $449,018 $1,576
94 Citrus Heights 87,127 114 $75,022 $465,791 $1,657
95 Apple Valley 75,603 114 $62,898 $402,924 $1,297
96 Greenfield 18,998 114 $73,904 $505,927 $1,627
97 King City 13,471 114 $70,145 $487,022 $1,562
98 Fortuna 12,527 114 $58,633 $416,075 $1,113
99 Bakersfield 404,321 115 $73,827 $377,282 $1,283
100 Indio 89,616 115 $68,436 $507,258 $1,344
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.