California · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area

Buying a home in Arden-Arcade, California

In Arden-Arcade, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $560,200, Sacramento County's effective property tax rate is 0.73%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,223 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,588 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Arden-Arcade home costs, fact by fact

About Arden-Arcade

Arden-Arcade is an unincorporated community in Sacramento County, part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area. Median gross rent is $1,588 a month, and HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in the county is $2,201.

Reading the Arden-Arcade figures

Arden-Arcade is an unincorporated community, and its owner-estimated median value of $560,200 is below the California statewide median of $770,700. Los Angeles reports a much higher $921,200, Manteca sits at $589,900, and Fontana stays close, with $586,800. Sacramento itself comes in lower, with $506,300, and Clovis lower again, with $482,700. Because these are owners' estimates and not sale prices, they show how residents see their homes rather than what recent buyers paid.

Rent is where the community departs from its price band. A median gross rent of $1,588 is below Los Angeles, where renters face $1,933, and below Menifee, which shows $2,110, and Moreno Valley, which shows $2,135, even though HUD's Fair Market Rent for a mid-sized apartment in the Sacramento area is $2,201 and its larger-unit figure reaches $2,887. The gap also means that renting here costs noticeably less than the federal benchmark suggests.

Ownership is the other side of the picture. Only 46.2% of homes are owner-occupied, far below Menifee's 80.2% and Manteca's 72.4%, and also lower than Sacramento's 51.7%. A buyer here is entering a community where renting is common, which can matter for resale and for how many neighbors own their homes. Santa Maria reports 50.2% and Compton 56.4%, so Arden-Arcade sits at the low end of that group.

Owners in Sacramento County pay $3,921 toward property tax annually, an effective rate of 0.73% on the typical county home, valued at $534,200. Arden-Arcade's own owner estimate is above that county median, so a buyer should expect the bill on a typical home here to run somewhat higher than the county figure, since taxes follow each home's assessed value rather than an owner's guess.

Loan costs add a final layer. Of the 11,727 purchase loans counted in the county for 2025, borrowers paid fees and points of $7,223 at the middle. The central band of those loans ran from $4,884 to $12,933, a wide range that depends on loan size, points and the lender chosen. A buyer comparing offers should read that spread as a reminder to request itemized estimates, because the median alone says little about any single loan.

A comparison with other covered cities fills in the middle of the range. Riverside reports an owner-estimated $584,800 and a median gross rent of $1,914; Compton shows $580,200 and $1,664, and Jurupa Valley has $574,600 with rent of $1,741. Arden-Arcade's rent is lower than each of theirs, which is why its rent-to-value pattern looks different from theirs.

Taken together, the figures describe a community priced below the state, with rents that trail comparable cities, a low owner share, and closing costs that vary widely from one loan to the next.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Arden-Arcade

How much is property tax in Arden-Arcade?

Homeowners in Sacramento County pay a median $3,921 a year in property tax, 0.73% of the county median home value of $534,200 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Arden-Arcade?

Home-purchase mortgages in Sacramento County carried median total loan costs of $7,223 in 2025; half of the 11,727 loans fell between $4,884 and $12,933 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Arden-Arcade?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Arden-Arcade?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Arden-Arcade ($560,200) equals 29.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,588 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Arden-Arcade?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

California rules that apply in Arden-Arcade

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides