A new 2025 report from personal finance platform WalletHub confirms what many California residents already suspect: owning a home in the Golden State is becoming increasingly unattainable. In fact, nine out of the top ten least affordable cities for homebuyers in the U.S. are located in California. At the bottom of the list is Santa Barbara, which ranked 300th out of 300 cities studied, making it the least affordable city in the country. Other California cities in the bottom 10 include Santa Monica, Berkeley, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Glendale, Los Angeles, Burbank, and Pasadena. The only non-California city to crack the top 10 was New York City.

WalletHub’s study evaluated 300 cities nationwide based on 10 metrics related to housing affordability. These included home prices, property taxes, maintenance costs, income levels, and vacancy rates. According to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, “Home prices alone don’t determine affordability. Income, tax rates, and the general cost of living must also be considered.” While most California cities struggled in the rankings, Victorville, located in San Bernardino County, stood out as the most affordable city in the state, ranking 69th overall and the only California entry in the top 100.

The stark contrast between cities like Victorville and Santa Barbara underlines California's ongoing housing affordability crisis, especially in coastal and metro areas. Santa Monica, ranked 299th, and Berkeley, ranked 298th, followed closely behind Santa Barbara in the unaffordability chart.

Other notable California cities with low affordability rankings include:

• San Francisco (290)

• San Jose (280)

• Anaheim (271)

• San Diego (272)

• Long Beach (269)

• Fremont (266)

• Oakland (252)

Many of these cities are desirable due to their coastal locations, employment hubs, and lifestyle appeal, but the soaring cost of living, stagnant wages, and increasing property values make homeownership out of reach for the average resident.

On the other end of the spectrum, Flint, Michigan, ranked as the most affordable city for homebuyers in 2025, followed by Detroit, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These cities offer significantly lower home prices compared to California metros, paired with better income-to-home-price ratios. The full report can be viewed on WalletHub’s official website, offering detailed rankings for each city included in the study.

Summary of California's Top and Bottom Cities by Affordability:

• Least Affordable: Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Berkeley

• Most Affordable in CA: Victorville (Ranked 69th Nationally)

As home prices continue to rise and housing inventory remains tight, WalletHub’s findings offer critical insights into where Californians can still afford to buy homes, and where real estate has become out of reach for most buyers. This growing divide could continue to influence migration trends, rental demand, and long-term economic shifts in the state.