Measured against area pay, Nice costs more to live in than 66% of U.S. towns
It ranks #64 of 846 in California for affordability. Down 3.4% in a year, 72% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Clearlake, CA micro area ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Clearlake-area micro earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 2.9 years of area income, and 65% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $213Ktypical home, 72% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,500a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Clearlake-area income
- 26%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 65%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 42%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Nice, in brief
Prices are 21% below their 2022 peak
The typical Nice home peaked at $271K in May 2022 and is worth about $213K now. Across California, values are only slightly off their high. Over five years, Nice is down 13%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Nice home runs about $1,220 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500. The hurdle is getting in: the down payment, and a budget at the median income that falls short of the typical home. Can I afford it? ↓
About two in three renters are stretched
65% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 55% across California. A standard two-bedroom would take 35% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Nice’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Nice is more affordable than 34% of U.S. towns, #64 of 846 in California. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Nice home is down 13.2% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Down 13.2% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Nice | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $154,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $176,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $184,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $200,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $217,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $251,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $254,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $233,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $231,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $219,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $213,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Nice home worth $149K in October 2016 is worth about $213K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 26% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Nice’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Nice home, with $36K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month here, $280 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Nice’s typical property tax (0.56% 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 $1,500
Renters already here pay a median of $1,293, 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 (Lake County, CA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the California norm
The median bill is $961 (California: $5,124), 0.56% 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+”.
Nice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nice | C | $213K | $173K | 0.56% | $1,500 |
Questions about the cost of living in Nice
Is Nice expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Nice costs more than 66% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living, #64 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 2.9 years of the median household income of the Clearlake, CA micro area ($61K).
How much does a house cost in Nice?
About $213K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 3.4% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Nice?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $52,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,220 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $60,000.
How much is rent in Nice?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,500 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,293 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Nice?
The median bill is $961 a year, 0.56% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Nice going up?
No: down 3.4% in the past year and -13.2% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Nice 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.