California · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area

Buying a home in Livermore, California

In Livermore, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,105,600, Alameda County's effective property tax rate is 0.78%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,758 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,677 a month.

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

Livermore home costs, fact by fact

About Livermore

Livermore lies in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, and 72% of its homes are owner-occupied. Alameda County has an effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) of 0.78%, and HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $2,805.

Reading the Livermore figures

Livermore starts its California comparison from a point well above the state: owners estimate their homes at $1,105,600, while California's median stands at $770,700. San Francisco reports $1,394,500. Carlsbad is listed at $1,257,000, and San Jose sits lower at $1,233,200. Irvine is higher than Livermore too, as are Costa Mesa and Daly City, each a little over $1,115,000. Glendale comes in just beneath Livermore, and Huntington Beach lands near it at $1,100,000, followed by Pasadena, Burbank and Torrance. Mission Viejo, at $1,009,600, sits further down, with Los Angeles lower again at $921,200. All of these are owner estimates, not sale prices. The city lies in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area, which has a population of 4,648,486, and the city itself counts 84,867 residents. Burbank owners report $1,089,100 and Torrance owners $1,074,700.

Inside that group, Livermore stands out for owner-occupancy. Owners hold 72% of its homes, well ahead of San Francisco, where owners hold 38.2%, and of Glendale, where they hold 35.2%; Irvine reaches 44.5%, Costa Mesa 39.6%, and only Mission Viejo is higher, with 76.9%. Renters here pay a median of $2,677 monthly, below HUD's Fair Market Rent of $2,805 for the Oakland-Fremont area. That HUD number is a benchmark, not a market median. San Jose renters report $2,669, nearly the same as Livermore, while Irvine renters report $2,997 and Mission Viejo renters $2,839. Daly City renters report $2,551 and Huntington Beach renters $2,510. Pasadena renters report $2,265 and Burbank renters $2,192, while Los Angeles renters report $1,933, which is lower than Livermore. Glendale renters report $2,182, Costa Mesa renters $2,446 and Torrance renters $2,280, all below Livermore's figure. Burbank owners hold 43.3% of homes, Pasadena owners 42.5% and Torrance owners 55%, so Livermore's owner share stands well above those cities.

Alameda County's median annual tax of $8,474 sits against a county value of $1,090,100, an effective rate of 0.78%. The county median is a little below Livermore's own, which suggests a Livermore purchase could carry a slightly larger bill than the county norm. Of the 8,025 loans lenders recorded in the county in 2025, the median closing charge was $7,758, and the usual band lay between $6,383 and $10,488. That spread is narrower than the one measured for Los Angeles County, so closing-cost surprises look smaller here. A buyer weighing Livermore against San Jose would still want an itemized estimate from a lender, since those loan figures are county-wide and not specific to either city. Because the county rate is a share of value, a buyer can apply the 0.78% rate to a specific price to estimate an annual bill.

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 Livermore

How much is property tax in Livermore?

Homeowners in Alameda County pay a median $8,474 a year in property tax, 0.78% of the county median home value of $1,090,100 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Livermore?

Home-purchase mortgages in Alameda County carried median total loan costs of $7,758 in 2025; half of the 8,025 loans fell between $6,383 and $10,488 (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 Livermore?

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 Livermore?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Livermore ($1,105,600) equals 34.4 years of the median gross rent ($2,677 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Livermore?

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 Livermore

Other large cities in California

Who licenses each trade in California · All covered cities

Sources

California · All states · Federal guides