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City · 16,294 residents · Contra Costa County, California

El Sobrante (Contra Costa County), California

In El Sobrante, a typical home is worth $758,800 and typical rent is $2,216 a month. Compared with all of Contra Costa County, the typical home value is 12% lower and typical household income is 10% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $758,800

    12% below the county

    3% above California

    • El Sobrante
    • Contra Costa
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $2,216a month

    7% below the county

    9% above California

    • El Sobrante
    • Contra Costa
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $114,853a year

    10% below the county

    16% above California

    • El Sobrante
    • Contra Costa
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    67%

    1 points below the county

    12 points above California

    • El Sobrante
    • Contra Costa
    • California

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$669,689
about the same as 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,719 a month

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

El Sobrante is in Contra Costa County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Contra Costa County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets El Sobrante apart

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

  1. Nearby, in San Pablo, the typical home value is $551,700: 27% less than in El Sobrante ($758,800).

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

The homes here

Housing in El Sobrante

What homes there are in El Sobrante, 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

The detached house rules in El Sobrante: 71% of homes, more than in Contra Costa County (68%).

Year built

In El Sobrante, half of the homes were built before 1961; in Contra Costa County, before 1978.

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

$2,987 a month

Contra Costa County: $3,435 a month

Without a mortgage

$825 a month

Contra Costa County: $1,009 a month

Owners with a mortgage

66%

Contra Costa County: 71%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in El Sobrante is $2,987 a month, less than in Contra Costa County ($3,435); without one, $825.

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

The boundaries of El Sobrante changed since 2015–2019, so the Census does not compare its figures from then and now. In Contra Costa County, the typical home value rose 39%.

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

MeasureEl SobranteContra Costa CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.8%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room 10.7%5.4%8.2%3.4%
People per household 2.902.782.842.53
Drive alone 65%60%66%69%
Carpool 12%10%10%9%
Public transit 4%5%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Work from home 16%21%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 30 to 39 minutes30 to 39 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More households are short on space in El Sobrante: 10.7% have more than one person per room; in Contra Costa County, 5.4%.

Much as in Contra Costa County, a household in El Sobrante has 2.90 people on average.

The car rules in El Sobrante: 65% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 30 to 39 minutes.

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 El Sobrante?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in El Sobrante, worth $758,800, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 64% of the typical household income in El Sobrante, which is $114,853 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $263,486 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in El Sobrante. 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 $26,558 (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

$6,148

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$745,056
Total interest
$1,071,961
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $12,814 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,680 a month

  • Tight

    $2,680 to $3,446 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,446 a month

    Your payment · 64%

Compared with the typical household income in El Sobrante ($114,853 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$6,148
Principal & interest$5,047
Property tax$449
Home insurance$316
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$336

You need at least $26,558 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

El Sobrante and Contra Costa County

El Sobrante is in Contra Costa 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).

El Sobrante's own numbers

Typical home value
$758,800
Typical monthly rent
$2,216
Typical yearly household income
$114,853
Households that own their home
67%
Effective property tax rate
0.71%

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

Numbers for all of Contra Costa County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,805
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+31%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.3%

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 Contra Costa County.

Everything about Contra Costa County

Buying

Buying a home in El Sobrante

A typical home in El Sobrante is worth $758,800: 12% below the county and 3% above California. With the typical household income in El Sobrante ($114,853 a year), a typical home costs 6.6 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.

  • El Sobrante 6.6 years
  • Contra Costa 6.8 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Contra Costa County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Contra Costa County rose 71% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) −0.0% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +31% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +71% +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

El Sobrante next to Contra Costa 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
  • El Sobrante $758,800
  • Contra Costa $866,800
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • El Sobrante $2,216
  • Contra Costa $2,375
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • El Sobrante $114,853
  • Contra Costa $127,229
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
El Sobrante next to Contra Costa County and California
Measure El Sobrante Contra Costa County California U.S.
Typical home value $758,800 $866,800 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $2,216 $2,375 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $114,853 $127,229 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 67% 68% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $5,405 $7,156 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.71% 0.83% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 56% 56% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Contra Costa 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 El Sobrante

For a typical $758,800 home in El Sobrante, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, El Sobrante's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $6,148a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $26,558
    Cash to close
    $49,322
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $336

  • Conventional, 5% down $6,009a month

    Down payment
    $37,940
    Cash to close
    $60,704
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $360

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $4,877a month

    Down payment
    $151,760
    Cash to close
    $174,524
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $5,579a month

    Down payment
    $113,820
    Cash to close
    $136,584
    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 El Sobrante and for Contra Costa County.

Property tax

Effective rate in El Sobrante

0.71%of the home’s value each year

$5,405 a year for the typical owner in El Sobrante.

  • El Sobrante 0.71%
  • Contra Costa 0.83%
  • California 0.7%

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

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Contra Costa County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.3%
7,128
Of those, with NFIP insurance
28%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.3% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 28% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in El Sobrante

Typical rent in El Sobrante is $2,216 a month: 7% below the county. In El Sobrante, 56% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Contra Costa County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,805 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $53.94 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Contra Costa 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 $2,088 $40.15 $83,520
1 bedroom $2,290 $44.04 $91,600
2 bedrooms $2,805 $53.94 $112,200
3 bedrooms $3,592 $69.08 $143,680
4 bedrooms $4,250 $81.73 $170,000

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 El Sobrante

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). El Sobrante is in ZIP code 94803.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,690: $115 less than the fair market rent for Contra Costa County ($2,805).

  • 94803 $2,690$3,450

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for El Sobrante 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 El Sobrante

HUD lists 3 buildings with rents for lower incomes in El Sobrante. These are the largest.

  • Creekside Terrace 5038 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante 94803 57 homes, 56 low-income · For families (510) 223-8373
  • El Sobrante Silvercrest 4630 Appian Way, El Sobrante 94803 50 homes, 49 low-income · For older adults (510) 758-1518
  • A Better Chance Apartments 462 Corte Arango, El Sobrante 94803 9 homes, 8 low-income · For people with disabilities (510) 669-1469

See all 170 buildings in Contra Costa County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in El Sobrante

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.

There are 4 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Contra Costa County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A man shakes hands with the specialist who helped him with his loan, in the kitchen of his new home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in El Sobrante

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for El Sobrante or Contra Costa County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in El Sobrante 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 El Sobrante

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

  • Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc

    3220 Blume Dr Ste 198, Richmond · 1 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 3 more
    510-237-6459-1601

  • Community Housing Development Corporation of North Richmond

    1535 Fred Jackson Way Ste A, Richmond · 4 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (510) 412-9290

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Oakland, CA

    3801-3805 Broadway, Oakland · 10 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (510) 652-6622

Every agency in Contra Costa County All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near El Sobrante

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve 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 El Sobrante

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Contra Costa County is named for El Sobrante or Contra Costa County.

3 other authorities have an office in Contra Costa County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Contra Costa County

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

Everything about Contra Costa County Housing in California
See 16 more cities in Contra Costa County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to El Sobrante, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Contra Costa 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 El Sobrante.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about El Sobrante

Short answers with the numbers for El Sobrante and all of Contra Costa 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 El Sobrante?

The typical home value in El Sobrante is $758,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Contra Costa County it is $866,800.

How much does it cost to rent in El Sobrante?

Typical rent in El Sobrante is $2,216 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Contra Costa County is $2,805.

What is the FHA loan limit in El Sobrante?

El Sobrante uses the FHA limit for all of Contra Costa County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in El Sobrante?

The typical homeowner in El Sobrante pays $5,405 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.71% of the home’s value; in Contra Costa County, the rate is 0.83%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in El Sobrante?

There are 4 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Contra Costa County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. 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).