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Madera County, CA

Rent vs Own in Madera County, California

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in Madera County at $1,376/mo while the ownership stack lands near $2,333/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 30,613.

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Renting is cheaper in Madera County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $1,376/mo, meaningfully below the $2,333/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $957/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Madera County

Primary driver

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

Madera County lists a $393,200 median home with $2,756/yr property tax (0.70%). HUD's $1,376/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$2,333/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $957/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Decision signal 2

The purchase price is the larger hurdle

Median household income is $76,627, so the 5.1x home-price-to-income ratio is the binding constraint here, even before the 3.6% of income that goes to property tax. Buyers in this band usually need a larger down payment or a longer commute to a cheaper ZIP before the monthly ownership math clears.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Madera County from $1,433/mo in FY2025 to $1,376/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $57/mo (-4.0%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Madera County ranks 34 of 58 California counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 24 other California counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$2,333
Mortgage (P&I) $1,988
Property Tax $230
Insurance (est.) $115
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,376
Studio$1,055
1-Bedroom$1,062
2-Bedroom$1,376
3-Bedroom$1,914
4-Bedroom$2,275

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$76,627
$6,386/mo
Home Price / Income
5.1x
Expensive (>5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
3.6%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of Madera County owners still owes $3,000 or more every year - a recurring holding cost of a few hundred dollars a month, which is why "paid off" understates the real cost of keeping property here.

Madera County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Los Angeles County
Home: $834,200 Tax: $5,675/yr
San Diego County
Home: $854,700 Tax: $5,774/yr
Orange County
Home: $962,600 Tax: $6,330/yr
Riverside County
Home: $557,300 Tax: $4,348/yr
San Bernardino County
Home: $505,000 Tax: $3,538/yr
Santa Clara County
Home: $1,490,600 Tax: $10,001/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Madera County, California? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in Madera County by roughly $957/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
What is the average rent in Madera County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,376/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,220/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Madera County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $76,627 household here can afford up to $229,881 -- about $163,319 short of this county's $393,200 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Madera County? ▼
$393,200, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.70% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Madera County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 4.0% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Madera County compare to other California counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 58 California counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Madera County lands at spot 34, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/california">California state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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