Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Measured against area pay, Exeter costs more to live in than 80% of U.S. towns
It ranks #174 of 846 in California for affordability. Up 1.4% in a year, 49% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Visalia, CA metro area ($71K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Visalia-area metro earn ($71K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.3 years of metro income, and 44% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $387Ktypical home, 49% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,550a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$71K, Visalia-area income
- 22%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 44%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 28%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Exeter?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Exeter’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Exeter is more affordable than 20% of U.S. towns, #174 of 846 in California. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced California: the typical Exeter home is up 19.4% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 19.4% in five years
Faster than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Exeter | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $218,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $236,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $246,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $261,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $288,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $338,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $358,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $367,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $383,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $386,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $387,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Exeter home worth $211K in October 2016 is worth about $387K 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 12 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 typical home costs 4.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Exeter’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $106K short of a typical Exeter home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month here, $730 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Exeter’s typical property tax (0.79% 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 $1,550
Renters already here pay a median of $1,286, 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 (Visalia, CA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2008
No permits for new homes were issued in Exeter in 2008. The last year with any was 2007 (13 new homes).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 13 | 11 | 2 | $2 million |
| 2006 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2005 | 73 | 73 | 0 | $10.4 million |
| 2004 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $594,000 |
| 2003 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $475,000 |
| 2002 | 42 | 39 | 3 | $4.8 million |
| 2001 | 48 | 48 | 0 | $4.2 million |
| 2000 | 41 | 39 | 2 | $3.5 million |
Exeter's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2008, so these are its newest figures.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,418, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.79% 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+”.
Exeter and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | C− | $387K | $308K | 0.79% | $1,550 |
Questions about the cost of living in Exeter
Is Exeter expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Exeter costs more than 80% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #174 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 4.3 years of the median household income of the Visalia, CA metro area ($71K).
How much does a house cost in Exeter?
About $387K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.4% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Exeter?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $98,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,280 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $62,000.
How much is rent in Exeter?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,550 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,286 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Exeter?
The median bill is $2,418 a year, 0.79% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Exeter going up?
Yes: up 1.4% in the past year and 19.4% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Exeter 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.