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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

Watsonville, CA Housing Affordability Index

Watsonville, California has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 63.6 (Significantly Less Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 659th most affordable of 785 scored California cities, compared with 67.5 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $686,000 home with 20% down, the California average 30-year fixed rate of 7.25% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $3,744, or 57% of the city’s $78,393 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Watsonville 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.

Watsonville MBR-HAI 63.6 Significantly Less Affordable
Rank in California 659 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 $686,000 U.S. Census Bureau

Watsonville is 3.9 points below the California score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the California index

View Watsonville Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Watsonville

$3,744/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.25%
$160,400
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$78,393
Median Household Income
California: $99,122
8.8x
Price-to-Income Ratio
California: 7.4x
$1,954/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$4,806/yr
Median Property Tax
0.70% of median value
40.9%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
53.1%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

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

Cite the Watsonville Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Watsonville, California score: 63.6 (Significantly Less Affordable), ranked 659 of 785 California cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/california/watsonville”