Photo: Cristiano Tomás · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Santa Nella costs more to live in than 65% of U.S. towns
Home prices around Santa Nella have risen about 47% over the past 5 years.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Merced, CA metro area ($66K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in March 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 Merced-area metro earn ($66K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 6.6 years of metro income, and 28% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $1,450a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 6.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$66K, Merced-area income
- 11%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Santa Nella
What’s behind Santa Nella’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Santa Nella is more affordable than 35% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Home prices up 47% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP code around Santa Nella rose 47% over the past 5 years, faster than across California (40%). Last year prices rose 6%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Santa Nella home at roughly $479,000 today.
Carrying the Census median forward with the index puts a typical home at about $479K.
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual) for the ZIP codes around Santa Nella, 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 6.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Santa Nella’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $217K short of a typical Santa Nella home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450 a month here, $1,370 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Santa Nella’s typical property tax (0.79% 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 $1,450
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Merced, 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 $3,417, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.79% 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+”.
Santa Nella 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Nella | C+ | — | $435K | 0.79% | $1,450 |
“—” 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 Santa Nella
Is Santa Nella expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Santa Nella costs more than 65% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 6.6 years of the median household income of the Merced, CA metro area ($66K).
How much is rent in Santa Nella?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,450 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in.
What are property taxes in Santa Nella?
The median bill is $3,417 a year, 0.79% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Neighbors talk housing
What Santa Nella buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, March 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.