Photo: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Willows costs more to live in than 79% of U.S. towns
It ranks #159 of 846 in California for affordability. Up 3.8% in a year, 58% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Glenn County, CA ($67K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 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 Glenn County earn ($67K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.2 years of area income, and 60% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $318Ktypical home, 58% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,360a 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$67K, Glenn County income
- 22%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 60%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 25%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Willows
What’s behind Willows’ grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Willows is more affordable than 21% of U.S. towns, #159 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 15.6% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 3.8% in a year
Faster than California (0.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Willows | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $173,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $188,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $209,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $231,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $254,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $286,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $295,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $298,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $305,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $311,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $318,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Willows home worth $169K in October 2016 is worth about $318K 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 Willows’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $49K short of a typical Willows home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,360 a month here, $490 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Willows’s typical property tax (0.68% 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 $1,360
Renters already here pay a median of $1,237.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Colusa County, CA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in Willows in 2025, all in buildings with two or more homes. That's 0.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Willows has permitted 40 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Willows gained 127 residents while 21 new homes were permitted: about 6 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 | 3 | 0 | 3 | $500,000 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 4 | $300,000 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $175,000 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 25 | 1 | 24 | $3.3 million |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $770,000 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $662,000 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $75,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $842,000 |
| 2010 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $973,000 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $509,000 |
| 2006 | 33 | 30 | 3 | $5.2 million |
| 2005 | 23 | 21 | 2 | $3.6 million |
| 2004 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2003 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $403,000 |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $225,000 |
| 2001 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $390,000 |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $120,000 |
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 $1,904 (California: $5,124), 0.68% 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+”.
Willows 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willows | C− | $318K | $282K | 0.68% | $1,360 |
Questions about the cost of living in Willows
Is Willows expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Willows costs more than 79% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #159 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 4.2 years of the median household income of Glenn County, CA ($67K).
How much does a house cost in Willows?
About $318K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.8% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Willows?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $79,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,850 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $54,000.
How much is rent in Willows?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,360 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,237 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Willows?
The median bill is $1,904 a year, 0.68% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Willows going up?
Yes: up 3.8% in the past year and 15.6% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Willows 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.