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California Mortgage Calculator

Use this free California mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payments and annual amortization.

Loan details

%

Monthly payment

$2,117

at 6.91% · 30-year fixed

  • Principal & interest

    $1,582

  • Property taxes

    $375

  • Homeowners insurance

    $160

Loan amount

$240,000

Total interest paid

$329,609

Payoff date

—

YOU'RE KEEPING $12,776

$12,776

stays in your pocket

That's your total savings over 30 years at today's best rate on NerdWallet (6.91%) vs. the 7.13% national average — $35 less every month.

  • Today's best rate: 6.91%

  • Get your free rate with no credit impact

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No impact to your credit score

Calculated payments and savings are estimates. The calculator result does not constitute an offer for a loan and will not solicit a loan offer. Savings will depend on the actual amounts and rate for which you are approved, should you choose to apply.

Getting a Mortgage in California

Written by 
,  Edited by 
 and 
Last updated November 19, 2025
It's no secret that housing in California is expensive.
The typical monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home in Los Angeles County was $5,353 in Q1 2025, based on a $913,236 home value, according to the National Association of Realtors. In Santa Clara County, the most populous county in the San Francisco Bay Area, the numbers jump even higher, with the typical payment reaching $9,103 for a $1,553,015 home.
By comparison, the national median was $2,120 for a $402,300 single-family home.
The Central Valley and northern counties offer more breathing room. Fresno County's typical payment clocks in at $2,469 monthly ($421,223 median), while Shasta County — where Redding is located — runs $2,169 ($369,999 median).

California mortgage and refinance rates today (APR)

ProductInterest rateAPR
30-year fixed-rate7.337%7.345%
20-year fixed-rate7.208%7.215%
15-year fixed-rate6.492%6.503%
10-year fixed-rate5.792%5.823%
7-year ARM7.034%6.946%
5-year ARM7.625%7.244%
30-year fixed-rate FHA5.401%6.132%
30-year fixed-rate VA6.609%6.956%
Data source: ©Zillow, Inc. 2006 – 2026. Use is subject to the Terms of Use

Today's rate

7.345%

30-year fixed

Today's mortgage rates in California are 7.345% for a 30-year fixed, 6.503% for a 15-year fixed, and 7.244% for a 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM).

California's first-time home buyer programs

The California Housing Finance Agency, or CalHFA, offers several loan programs to help qualified first-time home buyers get a mortgage.
» MORE: First-time home buyer programs by state

Average property tax by county

Taking U.S. Census data, NerdWallet has crunched the numbers to help you understand what property tax rate you can expect to pay on your future home in California. Because assessed values aren't frequently updated, you may pay a higher rate at first but eventually you'll pay a similar rate.

CountyAvg. property tax rateMedian home value
Alameda County0.75%$1,092,500
Alpine County0.63%$463,900
Amador County0.61%$409,600
Butte County0.71%$412,700
Calaveras County0.74%$404,200
Colusa County0.62%$360,100
Contra Costa County0.79%$865,800
Del Norte County0.65%$282,500
El Dorado County0.74%$654,000
Fresno County0.79%$382,500
Glenn County0.66%$295,400
Humboldt County0.63%$429,500
Imperial County0.85%$293,200
Inyo County0.64%$325,900
Kern County0.95%$330,000
Kings County0.77%$299,400
Lake County0.66%$300,200
Lassen County0.75%$233,100
Los Angeles County0.67%$805,600
Madera County0.70%$396,100
Marin County0.75%$1,466,500
Mariposa County0.62%$335,900
Mendocino County0.61%$483,400
Merced County0.67%$388,300
Modoc County0.64%$184,900
Mono County0.75%$496,800
Monterey County0.63%$732,500
Napa County0.62%$866,300
Nevada County0.73%$633,300
Orange County0.67%$940,900
Placer County0.83%$682,000
Plumas County0.67%$310,100
Riverside County0.89%$555,400
Sacramento County0.78%$536,600
San Benito County0.80%$801,200
San Bernardino County0.77%$504,400
San Diego County0.70%$846,600
San Francisco County0.64%$1,343,700
San Joaquin County0.79%$535,800
San Luis Obispo County0.66%$776,400
San Mateo County0.58%$1,586,500
Santa Barbara County0.59%$744,700
Santa Clara County0.65%$1,475,500
Santa Cruz County0.63%$1,013,900
Shasta County0.71%$355,100
Sierra County0.69%$289,400
Siskiyou County0.64%$260,200
Solano County0.79%$605,300
Sonoma County0.66%$771,000
Stanislaus County0.74%$450,700
Sutter County0.77%$433,100
Tehama County0.66%$342,100
Trinity County0.32%$326,200
Tulare County0.73%$320,500
Tuolumne County0.60%$377,700
Ventura County0.70%$796,300
Yolo County0.79%$591,800
Yuba County0.80%$430,400
Source: American Communities Survey 2022, U.S. Census

How to use the mortgage calculator

To use our mortgage calculator, add your details to the following fields:
  1. Home price
  2. Down payment
  3. Interest rate
  4. Loan term (years)
After you enter this information, the calculator displays the monthly payment, as well as:
  • Total principal
  • Total interest payments
  • Payoff date
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Calculating costs in addition to principal and interest

The calculator lets you fine-tune your payment by entering your annual property tax premium, annual home insurance premium, monthly homeowner association (HOA) fee, and monthly private mortgage insurance (PMI) premium.
To enter this information, click “Show Advanced Info” underneath the main loan details. Note that you'll enter the annual cost for property taxes and home insurance and the monthly cost for HOA fees and PMI premiums. The PMI field will only display if your down payment is less than 20%.
In the “Loan Estimate” window, select "Amortization Schedule" to uncover a table that shows how much you'll pay in principal and interest each month, as well as the remaining amount you owe ("Principal balance") after making the payment.
» MORE: What is mortgage amortization?

Explanation of terminology

  • Total monthly payment: An estimate of all your monthly housing costs, covering your loan principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and PMI.
  • Total principal: This is the amount you borrow. Each mortgage payment reduces the principal you owe.
  • Total interest payments: How much interest you would pay over the life of the loan.
  • Total loan payments: The entire amount of principal and interest paid, excluding taxes, insurance, and PMI.
  • Down payment: The portion of the home’s price you pay in cash upfront. 
  • Interest rate: How much the lender charges you to lend you the money. Interest rates are expressed as an annual percentage. A lower interest rate gives you a smaller monthly payment.
  • Loan term (years): The number of years you have to repay the mortgage. A longer term gives you a lower monthly payment, but you’ll pay more interest.
  • Start date: The month that your first mortgage payment is due.
  • Payoff date: The month your home will be fully paid off based on the loan term.
  • Property taxes: The annual tax assessed by a government authority on your home and land. You pay about one-twelfth of your annual property tax bill with each mortgage payment, and the servicer saves them in an escrow account. When the taxes are due, the loan servicer pays them.
  • Homeowners insurance: Your policy covers damage and financial losses from fire, storms, theft, a tree falling on your house and other bad things. As with property taxes, you pay roughly one-twelfth of your annual homeowners insurance premium each month, and the servicer pays the bill when it's due.
  • Monthly HOA fees: The amount you may pay each month if you belong to a homeowners association. Typically, these dues are billed directly, not added to the monthly mortgage payment. Because HOA dues can be easy to forget when considering the cost of homeownership, NerdWallet's mortgage calculator allows you to enter them here.
  • Private mortgage insurance: If you get a conventional mortgage and put down less than 20%, you’ll have to pay a monthly PMI premium. It covers the lender if you default on the loan and can be canceled once you reach 20% equity. FHA loans require a similar fee called a mortgage insurance premium. 
If you're looking to see how much you could save by refinancing your mortgage, try NerdWallet's refinance calculator.
» MORE FOR CANADIAN READERS: Canada mortgage payment calculator
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