States › California › Mentone

Is Mentone, CA expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 23 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,56111% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$80,573about $6,714/month · 7% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$436,70031% higher than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 54% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 5.4 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $62,440 a year. That is $30 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other California cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of California. It is number 99 of 653 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Mentone
$1,561
Camp Pendleton Mainside
$3,500+
Spring Valley Lake
$2,800
Templeton
$2,686
Charter Oak
$2,015
Plumas Lake
$2,441
Capitola
$3,322

How much do households earn in Mentone?

Under $25k
17.1%
$25k–50k
20.8%
$50k–100k
29.0%
$100k–150k
22.4%
$150k+
9.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 31.7% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Mentone

SizeMentoneU.S. average
Studio$722$1,338
1 bedroom$1,857$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,389$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,938$1,698

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

How expensive is Mentone 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 Mentone, so the California figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Mentone

🏛️ Property tax$3,338a year · 0.76% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$159a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Mentone

Commute to work26.9 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree23.9%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home68.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line12.5%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment3.1%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mentone?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $1,469 a month less.

Renting
$1,561
Owning
$3,030

Owning assumes a typical $436,700 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $43,670 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Mentone, CA?

Renting in Mentone costs a median of about $1,561 a month in 2026, including utilities. The California median is $2,357.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $62,440 a year, or $30 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Mentone cheap or expensive?

Mentone is rated OK: rent takes 23.2% of the typical household income of $80,573. It ranks 99th cheapest of 653 California cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Mentone?

The median homeowner in Mentone pays $3,338 a year in property taxes, about 0.76% of the median home value.

Is Mentone 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 Mentone?

The median home value in Mentone is $436,700, about 5.4 times the typical yearly household income.

9,514 people live in Mentone. Numbers are typical (middle) values.