California · 48th largest metro area

Buying a home in Fresno, California

In Fresno, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $374,800, Fresno County's effective property tax rate is 0.74%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $10,130 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,421 a month.

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

Fresno home costs, fact by fact

About Fresno

Fresno anchors the Fresno, CA metro area, ranked 48th among US metro areas, and has a city population of 550,105. Owners live in 50.1% of homes.

Reading the Fresno figures

Fresno's median value of $374,800 sits just above Bakersfield's $371,700. Visalia's $371,500 is similar, and the state's $770,700 is far higher. Victorville, near $385,600, and Hesperia, near $409,000, are the next steps up, while Clovis and Los Angeles sit well above, near $482,700 and $921,200. Rent of $1,421 is lower than Bakersfield's $1,472. Visalia charges $1,490 and Chico $1,488. Stockton, at $1,577, is well above. An owner share of 50.1% lands between San Bernardino's 50% and Stockton's 53.9%. Bakersfield reports 60.6%. Los Angeles reports only 36%.

The community plan areas show what the citywide median hides. Woodward Park tops the range, valued at $494,000 and renting for $2,160. Bullard follows: $440,000 and $1,660. Woodward Park's value runs 32% above the city figure and Bullard's 17% above, while Downtown sits 40% below and Southwest Fresno 43% below. West, at $377,000, is close to the city figure, while Hoover, McLane and Roosevelt cluster below it at $346,000, $343,000 and $338,000. At the other end, Downtown reports $226,000 and 27.3% owners, and Southwest Fresno reports $215,000 and 37.7%, so the lowest values go with mostly renter households. Fresno High-Roeding holds the oldest housing, with 87.6% built before 1980 and a median construction year of 1954. West is among the newest and most owner-occupied, at 68.7% owners and 1995. Woodward Park is newer still in its share, with only 11.5% of homes built before 1980 and a median year of 1994, while Bullard's median year is 1985.

Owning against renting splits the city sharply. West has 11,329 owner households and 5,153 renter households, and Woodward Park has 12,513 owners against 8,426 renters. In Downtown the order flips, with 5,088 owners and 13,525 renters, and Southwest Fresno has 1,522 owners and 2,516 renters. Hoover has 9,598 owners and 13,443 renters, while McLane is almost even, with 10,403 owners and 10,440 renters.

Fresno County's median tax bill is $2,861 under a 0.74% rate, against county homes valued at $388,800. HUD's benchmark of $1,685 is above every area's median rent except Woodward Park. Lender charges centered on $10,130 in 2025, with a spread from $5,897 up to $14,192.

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.

Sectors of Fresno

Fresno is divided into its 9 community plan areas, one open spot per trade in each.

Source: City of Fresno GIS, Community Plan Areas. Population per area is a Payotte estimate: the sum of Census ACS 2020-2024 populations (table B01003) of the 2020 census tracts whose internal point lies inside each official boundary.

Questions about buying a home in Fresno

How much is property tax in Fresno?

Homeowners in Fresno County pay a median $2,861 a year in property tax, 0.74% of the county median home value of $388,800 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Fresno?

Home-purchase mortgages in Fresno County carried median total loan costs of $10,130 in 2025; half of the 5,576 loans fell between $5,897 and $14,192 (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 Fresno?

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 Fresno?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Fresno ($374,800) equals 22 years of the median gross rent ($1,421 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Fresno?

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 Fresno

Other large cities in California

Who licenses each trade in California · All covered cities

Sources

California · All states · Federal guides