California · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area

Buying a home in Folsom, California

In Folsom, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $755,200, 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 $2,352 a month.

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

Folsom home costs, fact by fact

About Folsom

Folsom, California has 88,091 residents and lies in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area. Sacramento County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 0.73%, and HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom there is $2,201.

Reading the Folsom figures

Folsom's owner-estimated median of $755,200 comes in a little below the $770,700 for California. Los Angeles reports $921,200 and Inglewood reports $792,800, while Escondido reports $714,500, Santa Ana reports $713,000, and Corona reports $700,700. Rent of $2,352 a month sits above HUD's Fair Market Rent of $2,201 for Sacramento County, which is a benchmark rather than a market median, and below its larger-unit figure of $2,887. Folsom's 69.7% owner share is close to Carson, where it is 74%, and to Santa Clarita, at 71.8%, while Los Angeles stands at 36%. Sacramento County works out to 0.73% because $3,921 in tax falls on a home worth $534,200, so a buyer at Folsom's higher median would be taxed on a larger base than the county typical. Of the 11,727 mortgages originated in 2025, the typical loan carried up-front expenses of $7,223, and the central band runs from $4,884 to $12,933. That band is wide, so quotes for a specific loan could land far from the median. Santa Clarita reports rent of $2,544, and Oceanside reports $2,303, so Folsom's rent sits close to those cities even though its value is not far off either. Chula Vista reports $758,700 and Vista reports $762,400, which places Folsom within a tight cluster of covered California cities. Rancho Cucamonga reports $740,200 in value and $2,357 in rent. West Covina reports $779,800 in value and $2,245 in rent. Among the 104 covered California cities, the figures named here show how closely the state's values cluster near Folsom, while the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom area holds 2,463,127 residents and ranks 27th nationally.

Rent against value offers a second reading. Folsom's $2,352 rent against a $755,200 value can be set beside Santa Clarita, which pairs $2,544 with $784,700, Oceanside, which pairs $2,303 with $770,300, and Carson, which pairs $1,956 with $704,400. Santa Rosa reports $2,152 against $713,900, which is a lower rent for a value close to Folsom's. The county's typical home is worth $534,200, well below the Folsom median of $755,200, so the 0.73% rate would apply to a larger sum in Folsom than the county typical suggests. HUD's benchmark of $2,201 is below Folsom's median rent, which is the reverse of what a buyer finds in West Covina, where rent is $2,245 and the value is $779,800. In Folsom, the owner share of 69.7% is higher than the share in Chula Vista, 59.8%, and the share in Escondido, 53.4%. The population of Folsom is 88,091. Corona reports rent of $2,228 against a value of $700,700, and Santa Rosa reports $2,152 in rent with an owner share of 56.7%. Santa Ana, with an owner share of 44.6%, sits well below Folsom's 69.7%. Of all those cities, Santa Clarita has the highest owner share named here at 71.8% apart from Carson's 74%.

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 Folsom

How much is property tax in Folsom?

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 Folsom?

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 Folsom?

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 Folsom?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Folsom ($755,200) equals 26.8 years of the median gross rent ($2,352 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Folsom?

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 Folsom

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides