John Ohm House · Photo: Michael Aivaliotis · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Grayson costs more to live in than 97% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Grayson have risen about 52% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Modesto, CA metro area ($81K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 0 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. Grayson’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($81K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 19% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 83% of renters.
In dollars
- $2,000a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$81K, Modesto-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Grayson
What’s behind Grayson’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Grayson is more affordable than 3% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Home prices up 52% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Grayson rose 52% over the past 5 years, faster than across California (40%). Last year prices rose 13%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Grayson home at roughly $518,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $518K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Grayson, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost.
A typical home costs 5.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Grayson’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $236K short of a typical Grayson home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,000 a month here, $1,470 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Grayson’s typical property tax (1.73% 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 $2,000
Renters already here pay a median of $1,591, 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 (Modesto, 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 above the California norm
The median bill is $7,779 (California: $5,124), 1.73% 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+”.
Grayson and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson | D− | — | $449K | 1.73% | $2,000 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Grayson
Is Grayson expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Grayson costs more than 97% of U.S. towns: a D− for cost of living. The typical home costs 5.5 years of the median household income of the Modesto, CA metro area ($81K).
How much is rent in Grayson?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,000 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,591 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Grayson?
The median bill is $7,779 a year, 1.73% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Grayson buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. 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.