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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Desert Center, CA Housing Affordability Index

Desert Center, California has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 137.6 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 11th most affordable of 785 scored California cities, compared with 67.5 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $216,100 home with 20% down, the California average 30-year fixed rate of 7.25% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,179, or 19% of the city’s $73,393 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Desert Center is updated every night from live California mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Desert Center MBR-HAI 137.6 Highly Affordable
Rank in California 11 of 785 1 = most affordable
California 67.5 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.25% California lenders
Median home value $216,100 U.S. Census Bureau

Desert Center is 70.1 points above the California score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the California index

View Desert Center Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Desert Center

$1,179/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.25%
$50,500
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$73,393
Median Household Income
California: $99,122
2.9x
Price-to-Income Ratio
California: 7.4x
$735/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$1,286/yr
Median Property Tax
0.60% of median value
38.0%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
23.1%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Desert Center, California. The rate is the California average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Desert Center Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Desert Center, California score: 137.6 (Highly Affordable), ranked 11 of 785 California cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/california/desert-center”