Measured against area pay, August costs less to live in than 53% of U.S. towns
It ranks #19 of 846 in California for affordability. Down 1.9% in a year, 59% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area ($92K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Stockton-area metro earn ($92K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.2 years of metro income, and 60% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $313Ktypical home, 59% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,440a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$92K, Stockton-area income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 60%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 33%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in August
What’s behind August’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, August is more affordable than 53% of U.S. towns, #19 of 846 in California. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical August home is up 7.6% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.6% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | August | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $149,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $175,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $208,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $228,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $258,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $297,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $316,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $319,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $327,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $320,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $313,000 | $762,000 |
A typical August home worth $142K in October 2016 is worth about $313K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 5 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A year’s rent takes 16% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to August’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical August home, with $67K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,440 a month here, $330 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, August’s typical property tax (0.49% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,440
Renters already here pay a median of $1,221, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the California norm
The median bill is $1,438 (California: $5,124), 0.49% of a home’s value a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
August vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, August has the lowest.
Questions about the cost of living in August
Is August expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, August costs less than 53% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #19 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 3.2 years of the median household income of the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area ($92K).
How much does a house cost in August?
About $313K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.9% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in August?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $76,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,770 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $58,000.
How much is rent in August?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,440 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,221 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in August?
The median bill is $1,438 a year, 0.49% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in August going up?
No: down 1.9% in the past year and 7.6% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What August buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.