Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Keyes costs more to live in than 83% of U.S. towns
It ranks #206 of 846 in California for affordability. About the same as a year ago, 44% below the California typical home.
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 4 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. Keyes’ 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: 23% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 87% of renters.
In dollars
- $429Ktypical home, 44% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,640a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.2 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
- 87%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 23%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Keyes
What’s behind Keyes’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Keyes is more affordable than 17% of U.S. towns, #206 of 846 in California. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with California: up 13.6% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 13.6% in five years
About the same pace as California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Keyes | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $234,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $251,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $275,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $295,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $334,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $392,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $399,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $412,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $429,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $432,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $429,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Keyes home worth $227K in October 2016 is worth about $429K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Keyes’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $107K short of a typical Keyes home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,640 a month here, $880 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Keyes’s typical property tax (0.74% 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 $1,640
Renters already here pay a median of $1,546.
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.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $2,553, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.74% 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+”.
Keyes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyes | C− | $429K | $344K | 0.74% | $1,640 |
Questions about the cost of living in Keyes
Is Keyes expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Keyes costs more than 83% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #206 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 4.2 years of the median household income of the Modesto, CA metro area ($81K).
How much does a house cost in Keyes?
About $429K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.2% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Keyes?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $108,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,520 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $66,000.
How much is rent in Keyes?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,640 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,546 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Keyes?
The median bill is $2,553 a year, 0.74% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Keyes going up?
No: down 0.2% in the past year and 13.6% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Keyes 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.