California · Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area

Buying a home in Tracy, California

In Tracy, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $699,000, San Joaquin County's effective property tax rate is 0.75%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,603 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,478 a month.

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

Tracy home costs, fact by fact

About Tracy

In Tracy, an incorporated city of 100,136 residents, 65% of homes are owner-occupied. The city lies in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area, which ranks 77th among US metro areas. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in San Joaquin County is $2,015.

Reading the Tracy figures

Tracy runs against the grain: homes are valued below the California figure while rents are not. Owners put the median at $699,000, whereas the state sits at $770,700. Yet the city's median rent of $2,478 tops what other covered cities report at similar values. Corona, valued at $700,700, shows rent of $2,228. Escondido, valued at $714,500, shows $2,046. Santa Ana, valued at $713,000, shows $2,082. El Cajon sits a little under Tracy on value, $681,700, with rent of only $1,856. Even Rancho Cucamonga ($740,200) records $2,357, and Temecula ($679,700) records $2,347. Both are lower than Tracy. These are owners' estimates, not recorded sale prices.

Ownership leans toward buying: 65% of households own, a notch above Corona (63.8%), with Rancho Cucamonga lower (62.3%). Temecula reaches 68%, whereas Roseville reaches 68.8%. Santa Ana stays at 44.6%. El Cajon, with 41.5%, and Los Angeles, with 36%, lean toward renting. A few cities just under Tracy on value make the contrast sharper. Richmond is valued at $668,200 with rent of $1,960 and a 54.7% owner share. Salinas, valued at $654,100, has $1,991 with 47%. Oxnard, valued at $652,700, has $2,032 with 54.4%. Roseville, valued at $661,400, is the closest match on ownership, yet its rent of $2,142 still sits lower than Tracy's.

HUD's table for the Stockton-Lodi zone gives $2,015 for the smaller size and $2,790 for the larger. These are zone-wide yardsticks and not Tracy medians. Tracy's own $2,478 rent is above the smaller one, which matters if you are weighing a rental against a purchase, but the comparison is rough because a benchmark and a median measure different things.

San Joaquin County supplies the tax read: its typical annual bill is $3,960 at a 0.75% rate, with county homes valued at $530,700 in the middle. Tracy's $699,000 estimate is higher, so a buyer near that figure would apply the rate to the larger number. For 2025 the county's HMDA file counts 5,786 loans at a median cost of $8,603, with the middle of the range from $5,554 to $14,733, so quotes can differ noticeably between lenders. Tracy has 100,136 residents and belongs to the Stockton-Lodi metro area, home to 816,108 people.

Among the 77 covered California cities, Tracy is a useful test of how far rent can run ahead of value. The statewide figure of $770,700 is higher than Tracy's estimate, while the county's middle value of $530,700 is lower, so the city falls between those figures. Remember that HUD's benchmark and the owners' estimates are not recorded transactions, so the comparison is a reading, not a valuation. The metro area ranks 77th 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 Tracy

How much is property tax in Tracy?

Homeowners in San Joaquin County pay a median $3,960 a year in property tax, 0.75% of the county median home value of $530,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Tracy?

Home-purchase mortgages in San Joaquin County carried median total loan costs of $8,603 in 2025; half of the 5,786 loans fell between $5,554 and $14,733 (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 Tracy?

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 Tracy?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Tracy ($699,000) equals 23.5 years of the median gross rent ($2,478 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Tracy?

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 Tracy

Other large cities in California

Who licenses each trade in California · All covered cities

Sources

California · All states · Federal guides