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

Buying a home in Inglewood, California

In Inglewood, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $792,800, Los Angeles County's effective property tax rate is 0.68%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $11,266 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,787 a month.

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

Inglewood home costs, fact by fact

About Inglewood

With 102,774 residents, Inglewood is a city in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the 2nd largest in the United States. Only 36.2% of homes are owner-occupied, and median gross rent is $1,787 per month.

Reading the Inglewood figures

Inglewood's median value of $792,800 sits above the state's $770,700 but below Los Angeles County's $834,200, and it is below Los Angeles itself at $921,200. Downey, at $796,600, and Concord, at $797,600, are just above, with Long Beach near $806,600 and Garden Grove a bit higher still. Santa Clarita, at $784,700, and West Covina, at $779,800, are just below. Oceanside shows $770,300 and Chula Vista $758,700, while Rancho Cucamonga reports $740,200 and Escondido, the lowest, $714,500.

The more distinctive number is ownership. Only 36.2% of households own, almost level with Los Angeles at 36% and below Long Beach at 41.2%. Rancho Cucamonga reaches 62.3%, and Santa Clarita and Simi Valley are higher still, at 71.8% and 72.9%. Chula Vista, Oceanside and West Covina sit near 59.8%, 58.3% and 60.3%. For a buyer, a low owner share means most nearby homes are rented, so the pool of owner-occupied homes is narrower than in cities of similar value.

Rent runs lower than in most of those cities. Inglewood's median of $1,787 is under Long Beach's $1,871. Los Angeles asks $1,933. Downey asks $1,937. Garden Grove asks $2,012. Several others ask far more: West Covina charges $2,245, Concord $2,274, Chula Vista asks $2,229, and Santa Clarita, higher still, asks $2,544. Across Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, HUD's benchmark starts at $2,964 and tops out at $3,760, well above the city's median. That is a benchmark for the whole area, not a market median.

The county supplies the tax data. Los Angeles County's median bill is $5,675 equal to an effective rate of 0.68%, calculated against a county median value of $834,200. Inglewood's owners estimate their homes slightly below that county figure, so a typical bill may be near or under $5,675. Treat that as reasoning from county data, not an Inglewood measurement, and remember that each value here is the owner's estimate.

Loan costs are the final check. County loan data for 2025 covers 32,309 loans at a median of $11,266, with the usual range from $7,619 to $18,640. A quote at the upper end deserves questions.

Two comparisons help. Los Angeles reports $921,200 in value and $1,933 in rent, both above Inglewood's. Santa Clarita reports a value only slightly below Inglewood's, at $784,700, yet its rent is $2,544 and its owner share 71.8%, which shows how different two cities with similar prices can be.

Inglewood and Los Angeles are close on ownership, but Los Angeles has a higher value and rent. Compared with Escondido, which has a value of $714,500, rent of $2,046 and an owner share of 53.4%, Inglewood costs more to buy but less to rent. Inglewood has 102,774 residents, and the metro area it belongs to 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 Inglewood

How much is property tax in Inglewood?

Homeowners in Los Angeles County pay a median $5,675 a year in property tax, 0.68% of the county median home value of $834,200 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Inglewood?

Home-purchase mortgages in Los Angeles County carried median total loan costs of $11,266 in 2025; half of the 32,309 loans fell between $7,619 and $18,640 (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 Inglewood?

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 Inglewood?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Inglewood ($792,800) equals 37 years of the median gross rent ($1,787 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Inglewood?

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 Inglewood

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides