Photo: Fruitianslip · CC BY-SA 4.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Fowler costs more to live in than 85% of U.S. towns
It ranks #238 of 846 in California for affordability. Up 2% in a year, 38% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Fresno, CA metro area ($74K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Fowler’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($74K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 33% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 46% of renters.
In dollars
- $471Ktypical home, 38% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,550a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$74K, Fresno-area income
- 20%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 46%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 Fowler
What’s behind Fowler’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Fowler is more affordable than 15% of U.S. towns, #238 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 Fowler home is up 20.1% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 20.1% in five years
Faster than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Fowler | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $268,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $288,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $302,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $313,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $350,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $409,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $427,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $444,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $458,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $470,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $471,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Fowler home worth $262K in October 2016 is worth about $471K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 5.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Fowler’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $177K short of a typical Fowler home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month here, $1,220 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Fowler’s typical property tax (0.77% 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 $1,218, 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 (Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
97 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 97 new homes in Fowler in 2025: 95 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $48.4 million to build. That's 14 per 1,000 residents, faster than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Fowler has permitted 655 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Fowler gained 1,130 residents while 453 new homes were permitted: about 2.5 new residents per new home, about the same as across California (2.7).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 24 | 24 | 0 | $14.5 million |
| 2025 | 97 | 95 | 2 | $48.4 million |
| 2024 | 85 | 85 | 0 | $33.7 million |
| 2023 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $15.5 million |
| 2022 | 72 | 72 | 0 | $27.6 million |
| 2021 | 89 | 89 | 0 | $35.7 million |
| 2020 | 35 | 35 | 0 | $9.2 million |
| 2019 | 51 | 51 | 0 | $13.5 million |
| 2018 | 37 | 37 | 0 | $13.3 million |
| 2017 | 94 | 28 | 66 | $15.9 million |
| 2016 | 49 | 49 | 0 | $16 million |
| 2015 | 34 | 30 | 4 | $9.8 million |
| 2014 | 68 | 66 | 2 | $17 million |
| 2013 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $6.5 million |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $649,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $173,000 |
| 2010 | 85 | 85 | 0 | $15.9 million |
| 2009 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2008 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2007 | 103 | 101 | 2 | $13.8 million |
| 2006 | 88 | 88 | 0 | $20.1 million |
| 2005 | 129 | 123 | 6 | $31.6 million |
| 2004 | 75 | 73 | 2 | $16.6 million |
| 2003 | 45 | 45 | 0 | $6.8 million |
| 2002 | 31 | 31 | 0 | $4.3 million |
| 2001 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $5.7 million |
| 2000 | 26 | 23 | 3 | $3.2 million |
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 $2,919, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.77% 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+”.
Fowler 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler | C− | $471K | $380K | 0.77% | $1,550 |
Questions about the cost of living in Fowler
Is Fowler expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Fowler costs more than 85% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #238 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 5.1 years of the median household income of the Fresno, CA metro area ($74K).
How much does a house cost in Fowler?
About $471K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.0% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Fowler?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $119,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,770 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 Fowler?
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 $1,218 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Fowler?
The median bill is $2,919 a year, 0.77% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Fowler going up?
Yes: up 2.0% in the past year and 20.1% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Fowler 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.