States › California › Porterville

Is Porterville, CA expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 23 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,27327% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$65,207about $5,434/month · 25% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$285,70014% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 71% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.4 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $50,920 a year. That is $24 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 38 of 653 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Porterville
$1,273
San Clemente
$3,061
Laguna Niguel
$3,630
South San Francisco
$3,342
La Habra
$2,526
Woodland
$1,765
Lynwood
$2,096

How much do households earn in Porterville?

Under $25k
18.3%
$25k–50k
26.2%
$50k–100k
33.6%
$100k–150k
12.8%
$150k+
4.0%

Share of households by yearly income. 16.8% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Porterville

SizePortervilleU.S. average
Studio$934$1,338
1 bedroom$876$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,161$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,460$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,779$2,098

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

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

Taxes and bills in Porterville

🏛️ Property tax$1,946a year · 0.68% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$163a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Porterville

Commute to work23.5 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree14.5%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home54.3%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line17.3%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment10.1%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Porterville?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $709 a month less.

Renting
$1,273
Owning
$1,982

Owning assumes a typical $285,700 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $28,570 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Porterville, CA?

Renting in Porterville costs a median of about $1,273 a month in 2026, including utilities. The California median is $2,357.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $50,920 a year, or $24 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Porterville cheap or expensive?

Porterville is rated OK: rent takes 23.4% of the typical household income of $65,207. It ranks 38th cheapest of 653 California cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Porterville?

The median homeowner in Porterville pays $1,946 a year in property taxes, about 0.68% of the median home value.

Is Porterville 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 Porterville?

The median home value in Porterville is $285,700, about 4.4 times the typical yearly household income.

63,157 people live in Porterville. Numbers are typical (middle) values.