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City · 5,765 residents · Merced County, California

Dos Palos , California

In Dos Palos, a typical home is worth $299,500 and typical rent is $1,125 a month. Compared with all of Merced County, typical household income is 35% lower, the typical home value is 24% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 6 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $299,500

    24% below the county

    59% below California

    • Dos Palos
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,125a month

    16% below the county

    45% below California

    • Dos Palos
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $42,367a year

    35% below the county

    57% below California

    • Dos Palos
    • Merced
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    60%

    6 points above the county

    4 points above California

    • Dos Palos
    • Merced
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$357,537
about the same as 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Dos Palos is in Merced County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Merced County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Dos Palos apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Dos Palos has the 5th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 616 cities in California with more than 5,000 people (31%).

  2. Dos Palos has the 8th lowest typical household income of the 659 cities in California with more than 5,000 people ($42,367).

  3. 27% of households in Dos Palos have no internet at home (9% in Merced County).

  4. Dos Palos has the 36th lowest typical rent of the 648 cities in California with more than 5,000 people ($1,125).

  5. Nearby, in Firebaugh, the typical home value is $242,400: 19% less than in Dos Palos ($299,500).

  6. The typical home in Dos Palos is worth $299,500, 24% less than in Merced County as a whole ($391,800).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Dos Palos

What homes there are in Dos Palos, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Dos Palos, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Merced County, 7.

Year built

The typical home in Dos Palos was built in 1976, 10 years before the typical one in Merced County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,473 a month

Merced County: $1,915 a month

Without a mortgage

$452 a month

Merced County: $609 a month

Owners with a mortgage

54%

Merced County: 64%

Owning costs less in Dos Palos: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,473 a month; in Merced County, $1,915. Without one, $452.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in Merced County, the typical home value in Dos Palos rose 54% since 2015–2019.

The typical rent in Dos Palos stayed about the same over that time: the difference is within the Census margin of error.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureDos PalosMerced CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.5%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate8.2%8.2%3.4%
People per household 2.743.322.842.53
Drive alone 81%76%66%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate11%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate7%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate4%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Dos Palos are smaller: 2.74 people on average; in Merced County, 3.32.

In Dos Palos, 81% of workers drive alone to work; in Merced County, 76%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Dos Palos?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Dos Palos, worth $299,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 68% of the typical household income in Dos Palos, which is $42,367 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $102,394 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Merced County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Dos Palos. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $10,483 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,389

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$294,075
Total interest
$423,105
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,058 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $989 a month

  • Tight

    $989 to $1,271 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,271 a month

    Your payment · 68%

Compared with the typical household income in Dos Palos ($42,367 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,389
Principal & interest$1,992
Property tax$140
Home insurance$125
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$132

You need at least $10,483 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Dos Palos and Merced County

Dos Palos is in Merced County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Dos Palos's own numbers

Typical home value
$299,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,125
Typical yearly household income
$42,367
Households that own their home
60%
Effective property tax rate
0.56%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Merced County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,517
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+46%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
20%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Merced County.

Everything about Merced County

Buying

Buying a home in Dos Palos

A typical home in Dos Palos is worth $299,500: 24% below the county and 59% below California. With the typical household income in Dos Palos ($42,367 a year), a typical home costs 7.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Dos Palos 7.1 years
  • Merced 6.0 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Merced County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Merced County rose 105% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Merced County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +0.8% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +46% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +105% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Dos Palos next to Merced County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Dos Palos $299,500
  • Merced $391,800
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Dos Palos $1,125
  • Merced $1,343
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Dos Palos $42,367
  • Merced $65,510
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Dos Palos next to Merced County and California
Measure Dos Palos Merced County California U.S.
Typical home value $299,500 $391,800 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,125 $1,343 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $42,367 $65,510 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 60% 54% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,663 $2,634 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.56% 0.67% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 31% 52% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Merced County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Dos Palos

For a typical $299,500 home in Dos Palos, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Dos Palos's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,389a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $10,483
    Cash to close
    $19,468
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $132

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,334a month

    Down payment
    $14,975
    Cash to close
    $23,960
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $142

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,888a month

    Down payment
    $59,900
    Cash to close
    $68,885
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,165a month

    Down payment
    $44,925
    Cash to close
    $53,910
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Dos Palos and for Merced County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Dos Palos

0.56%of the home’s value each year

$1,663 a year for the typical owner in Dos Palos.

  • Dos Palos 0.56%
  • Merced 0.67%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Merced County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Merced County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
20%
15,210
Of those, with NFIP insurance
24%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 20% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 24% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Dos Palos

Typical rent in Dos Palos is $1,125 a month: 16% below the county. In Dos Palos, 31% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Merced County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,517 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.17 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Merced County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,200 $23.08 $48,000
1 bedroom $1,262 $24.27 $50,480
2 bedrooms $1,517 $29.17 $60,680
3 bedrooms $2,087 $40.13 $83,480
4 bedrooms $2,477 $47.63 $99,080

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Dos Palos

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Dos Palos is in ZIP code 93620.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,500: $17 less than the fair market rent for Merced County ($1,517).

  • 93620 $1,500$2,090

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Dos Palos when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Dos Palos

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in Dos Palos.

  • Dos Palos Apts 21100 State Highway 33, Dos Palos 93620 40 low-income homes · In service since 1987

See all 45 buildings in Merced County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Dos Palos

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Merced County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Dos Palos

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Dos Palos or Merced County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Dos Palos the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Dos Palos

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Dos Palos, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Community Housing Council of Fresno

    2560 W Shaw Ln Ste 101, Fresno · 46 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 7 more
    (559) 221-6919

  • Habitat for Humanity, Stanislaus County

    2260 Tenaya Dr, Modesto · 48 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 7 more
    (209) 575-4585

  • Southwest Fresno Development Corp

    1424 W California Ave, Fresno · 48 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 4 more
    (559) 209-8031

All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Dos Palos

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Dos Palos

HUD’s record names them for Dos Palos or Merced County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • County of Merced Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (209) 386-4139

All housing agencies in California Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Merced County

These cities are also in Merced County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Merced County Housing in California

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Dos Palos, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Merced County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Dos Palos.

All guides
A mother holds her laughing daughter on a grey sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Dos Palos

Short answers with the numbers for Dos Palos and all of Merced County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Dos Palos?

The typical home value in Dos Palos is $299,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Merced County it is $391,800.

How much does it cost to rent in Dos Palos?

Typical rent in Dos Palos is $1,125 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Merced County is $1,517.

What is the FHA loan limit in Dos Palos?

Dos Palos uses the FHA limit for all of Merced County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Dos Palos?

The typical homeowner in Dos Palos pays $1,663 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.56% of the home’s value; in Merced County, the rate is 0.67%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Dos Palos?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Merced County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).