States › California › Escondido

Is Escondido, CA expensive to live in?

ExpensiveRent takes 30 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$2,49342% higher than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$99,186about $8,266/month · 14% higher than U.S. average
🔑 House price$714,500115% higher than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 85% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 7.2 years of household income, so buying is hard for most locals.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $99,720 a year. That is $48 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other California cities?

No. Rent here is more expensive than in most of California. It is number 380 of 653 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Escondido
$2,493
Pomona
$2,274
Sunnyvale
$3,158
Visalia
$1,892
Roseville
$2,710
Torrance
$2,829
Hayward
$2,826

How much do households earn in Escondido?

Under $25k
12.6%
$25k–50k
16.0%
$50k–100k
31.3%
$100k–150k
19.4%
$150k+
15.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 35.2% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Escondido

SizeEscondidoU.S. average
Studio$1,745$1,338
1 bedroom$1,784$1,324
2 bedrooms$2,214$1,509
3 bedrooms$2,689$1,698
4 bedrooms$3,453$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Escondido overall?

Everyday prices in California overall are 11% above the U.S. average (index 110.7, U.S. = 100).

Housing
154
Goods (food, clothes…)
106
Utilities
159
Other services
103
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Escondido, so the California figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Escondido

🏛️ Property tax$4,898a year · 0.69% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$143a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Escondido

Commute to work27.5 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree28.9%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home53.4%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line12.2%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4.7%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Escondido?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $2,465 a month less.

Renting
$2,493
Owning
$4,958

Owning assumes a typical $714,500 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $71,450 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Escondido, CA?

Renting in Escondido costs a median of about $2,493 a month in 2026, including utilities. The California median is $2,357.

How much do I need to make to live in Escondido?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $99,720 a year, or $48 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Escondido cheap or expensive?

Escondido is rated Expensive: rent takes 30.2% of the typical household income of $99,186. It ranks 380th cheapest of 653 California cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Escondido?

The median homeowner in Escondido pays $4,898 a year in property taxes, about 0.69% of the median home value.

Is Escondido more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in California are 11% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Escondido?

The median home value in Escondido is $714,500, about 7.2 times the typical yearly household income.

149,668 people live in Escondido. Numbers are typical (middle) values.