California · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area

Buying a home in Garden Grove, California

In Garden Grove, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $814,100, Orange County's effective property tax rate is 0.66%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $9,436 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,012 a month.

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

Garden Grove home costs, fact by fact

About Garden Grove

Part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, ranked 2nd in the country, Garden Grove in California has 172,361 residents. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Orange County is $3,057, and median gross rent is $2,012 a month.

Reading the Garden Grove figures

Garden Grove's median value of $814,100 rises over the state's $770,700 yet falls well short of Orange County's $962,600, which places it in the middle of that range by these figures. Fullerton reports $902,600. San Diego reports $906,700. Los Angeles reports $921,200, higher still. Closer in, Anaheim shows $831,200. Ventura shows $827,300. Simi Valley shows $823,800. Long Beach, at $806,600, is a little lower. Concord shows $797,600, Downey sits a little lower, and Inglewood is just under at $792,800. Santa Clarita posts $784,700. West Covina posts $779,800, the lowest of the nearby values.

Rent runs lower here than in most of those neighbours. Garden Grove's median of $2,012 trails Anaheim's $2,175. Fullerton's $2,194 is higher too, as is West Covina's $2,245. Santa Clarita's $2,544 and Simi Valley's $2,579 are well above. Long Beach asks only $1,871. Los Angeles asks $1,933, and Downey $1,937. The benchmark HUD sets for Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine runs from $3,057 up to $4,153 by home size, all well above the city's median. That figure covers a wide area and is not a market median.

The owner share of 53.1% sits close to Downey's 51.1%. Fullerton's 51.8% is similar. That beats Anaheim's 46.2%. It beats San Diego's 47.3%. It beats Long Beach's 41.2%. Los Angeles reports 36%. Concord is higher with 61.6%, as is Santa Clarita with 71.8%. Garden Grove therefore holds a balance between renters and owners that is typical of the cities in its price band, rather than leaning strongly either way.

For taxes, use the county. Orange County's median bill is $6,330 alongside an effective rate of 0.66%, worked out for homes the county values at $962,600. Garden Grove's owners estimate less than the county does, so a typical bill could fall below the county figure. That is an inference from the county data, not a measured Garden Grove number, and every value on this page comes from owners rather than from recorded sales.

Lender charges are the last piece. Hayward, with 58% owners and $2,391 in rent, shows a different mix at a value of $854,400. The county's 2025 loan data covers 12,159 loans, centered on $9,436 and mostly priced from $7,052 to $15,094. Concord, Downey and Inglewood make a handy trio of comparisons. Concord's $797,600 comes with $2,274 in rent and a 61.6% owner share; Downey's $796,600 comes with $1,937 and 51.1%; Inglewood's $792,800 comes with $1,787 and only 36.2%. Garden Grove's own mix of $2,012 in rent and 53.1% owners sits between them, and it is near Fullerton on ownership but lower on value. With a population of 172,361, Garden Grove outweighs Fullerton and West Covina, and it sits in the metro area that ranks 2nd nationally.

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 Garden Grove

How much is property tax in Garden Grove?

Homeowners in Orange County pay a median $6,330 a year in property tax, 0.66% of the county median home value of $962,600 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Garden Grove?

Home-purchase mortgages in Orange County carried median total loan costs of $9,436 in 2025; half of the 12,159 loans fell between $7,052 and $15,094 (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 Garden Grove?

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 Garden Grove?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Garden Grove ($814,100) equals 33.7 years of the median gross rent ($2,012 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Garden Grove?

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.

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California rules that apply in Garden Grove

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides