
Yuba City, CA
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
expensive
Price to income
5.23×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs California
- 5.95×-0.72
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
24.9%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs California
- 28.8%-3.9
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.09%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs California
- 3.10%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.38%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs California
- -0.03%+0.41
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.35
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
normal
Permit pipeline
4.29
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs California
- 2.39+1.89
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+0.76
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
7.9%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs California
- 5.2%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+34.0%
homeValues.yearOverYear
-0.6%
Median home value
$390,800
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,272 | $15,264 | 20.4% |
| 2 BR | $1,550 | $18,600 | 24.9% |
| 3 BR | $2,156 | $25,872 | 34.6% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
7.9%
Median household income
$74,762
What's being built
Total TTM
775
+150.3% YoY
Single-family
534
2–4 unit
20
5+ unit
221
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter County | 99,101 | $399,400 | $75,450 | 322 | +411.1% |
| Yuba County | 81,705 | $380,000 | $73,313 | 453 |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Yuba City | 180,806 | $74,762 | 5.23× | 3.09% | +34.0% | 4.29 | 7.9% |
| Billings, MT | 185,147 | $74,599 | — | — | +48.7% | — | 3.4% |
| St. George, UT | 183,297 | $76,411 | — | — | +52.1% | — | 3.7% |
| Dover, DE | 182,400 | $72,872 | — | — | +49.9% | — | 5.6% |
| Iowa City, IA | 175,894 | $74,142 | — | — | +34.6% | — | 2.4% |
| Redding, CA | 181,852 | $71,931 | — | — | +27.0% | — | 5.2% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+688
+0.38% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Sacramento County, CA | 1,211 |
| Yuba County, CA | 611 |
| Sutter County, CA | 610 |
| Placer County, CA | 432 |
| Butte County, CA | 290 |
| Yolo County, CA | 149 |
Who lives in Yuba City
- Median age
- 35
- Bachelor's+
- 19.2%
- Owner-occupancy
- 61.1%
- Vacancy rate
- 5.4%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 48.6%
- Median household income
- $74,762
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
