Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Jackson costs more to live in than 76% of U.S. towns
It ranks #128 of 846 in California for affordability. Down 0.8% in a year, 43% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Amador County, CA ($88K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Jackson’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($88K 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 59% of renters.
In dollars
- $431Ktypical home, 43% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,900a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$88K, Amador County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 59%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Jackson, in brief
Prices are 7% below their 2022 peak
The typical Jackson home peaked at $464K in July 2022 and is worth about $431K now. Across California, values are only slightly off their high. Over five years, Jackson is still up 1%. Price trend ↓
Buyers have time and room to negotiate
At the pace homes sold in September, it would take about 6 months to sell everything listed (California: 3.6). The typical home took 55 days to sell and sold at 99% of asking. How fast homes sell ↓
Homes haven’t kept up with new residents
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Jackson gained 368 residents while 60 new homes were permitted: about 6.1 new residents per new home, against 2.7 across California. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Jackson’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Jackson is more affordable than 24% of U.S. towns, #128 of 846 in California. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Jackson home is up 1.0% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 1% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Jackson | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $306,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $337,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $347,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $353,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $382,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $435,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $440,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $440,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $445,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $431,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $431,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Jackson home worth $299K in October 2016 is worth about $431K 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 typical home costs 5.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Jackson’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $73K short of a typical Jackson home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month here, $570 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Jackson’s typical property tax (0.59% 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 $1,900
Renters already here pay a median of $1,429, 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 (Amador County, CA): 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 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Jackson in 2025. The last year with any was 2024 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Jackson gained 368 residents while 60 new homes were permitted: about 6.1 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across California: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $729,000 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $765,000 |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $502,000 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2019 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $9.2 million |
| 2018 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5.8 million |
| 2017 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $377,000 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $83,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $151,000 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $69,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $454,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $263,000 |
| 2007 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2006 | 28 | 28 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2005 | 73 | 73 | 0 | $10.4 million |
| 2004 | 102 | 60 | 42 | $10.6 million |
| 2003 | 55 | 39 | 16 | $6.7 million |
| 2002 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $700,000 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $191,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the California norm
The median bill is $2,632 (California: $5,124), 0.59% 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+”.
Jackson vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Jackson has the lowest.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | C− | $431K | $443K | 0.59% | $1,900 |
| Martell | – | — | — | — | $1,880 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” 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 Jackson
Is Jackson expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Jackson costs more than 76% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #128 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 5.0 years of the median household income of Amador County, CA ($88K).
How much does a house cost in Jackson?
About $431K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.8% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Jackson?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $106,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,470 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $76,000.
How much is rent in Jackson?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,900 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,429 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Jackson?
The median bill is $2,632 a year, 0.59% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Jackson going up?
No: down 0.8% in the past year and 1.0% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Jackson 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.