The 10 Best Places To Buy A House In California For 2021


Using science and data, we can tell you which places in California have seen home prices rising and people flocking over the past year.

Chris Kolmar, About HomeSnacks
December 28, 2020
HomeSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Editor’s note: This is not investment advice and we are not financial advisers. Article updated for 2021.

There's a the age old question everyone thinks about when they decide to move to a city in California:

Should I buy a place or rent? Well, we aren't here today to solve that problem for you exactly. We are just assuming you'll do the right thing and a buy a place. And while we are happy to tell you the best place to live in California, this analysis is going to tackle the question of the best place to buy a house as an investor. That is we are going to try and determine the up and coming cities in the Golden State.

To do that we are going to look at places in California that are growing faster than average, but where home prices are below average. In every day terms, the "deals". The best deal in California at the moment? That would be Buellton according to our analysis.

Here's a look at the top ten places to buy a home in California for 2021.

The 10 Best Places To Buy A Home In California For 2021

  1. Buellton
  2. Williams
  3. Big Bear Lake
  4. Calistoga
  5. Dos Palos
  6. Indian Wells
  7. Woodside
  8. Solvang
  9. Gustine
  10. Villa Park

What's the best place to buy a home in California for 2021? According to our analysis, would the the ideal place to buy a home looking into the future.

The methodology that wen't into this can be a bit complicated, so we'll break it down for you in as much detail as we can below. If you're not worried about finding a deal on good places to live, check out the most expensive places to live in California and, for those of you on a budget, the cheapest places to live in California.

For more California reading, check out:

The 10 Best Cities To Buy A House In California For 2021

1. Buellton

Buellton, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Boston Public Library | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 5,082
Median Home Price: $522,900
Population Change: -0.2%
Home Price Change: 3.7%
More on Buellton: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

2. Williams

Williams, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,228
Median Home Price: $229,500
Population Change: 0.1%
Home Price Change: 16.1%
More on Williams: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

3. Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake, CA

Source: Wikipedia User jcookfisher | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,241
Median Home Price: $391,000
Population Change: 0.2%
Home Price Change: 0.2%
More on Big Bear Lake: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

4. Calistoga

Calistoga, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Emw | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 5,271
Median Home Price: $570,100
Population Change: -0.3%
Home Price Change: 2.8%
More on Calistoga: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

5. Dos Palos