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City · 6,133 residents · Merced County, California

Gustine , California

In Gustine, a typical home is worth $441,700 and typical rent is $1,395 a month. Compared with all of Merced County, the typical home value is 13% higher and typical household income is 9% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $441,700

    13% above the county

    40% below California

    • Gustine
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,395a month

    4% above the county

    31% below California

    • Gustine
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $59,532a year

    9% below the county

    40% below California

    • Gustine
    • Merced
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    57%

    3 points above the county

    1 points above California

    • Gustine
    • Merced
    • California

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$418,670
0.5% less than 12 months ago

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

Gustine 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 Gustine apart

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

  1. Nearby, in Delhi, the typical home value is $349,700: 21% less than in Gustine ($441,700).

  2. Gustine has the 64th lowest typical household income of the 659 cities in California with more than 5,000 people ($59,532).

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

The homes here

Housing in Gustine

What homes there are in Gustine, 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 Gustine: 82% of homes, more than in Merced County (74%).

Year built

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

$1,430 a month

Merced County: $1,915 a month

Without a mortgage

$483 a month

Merced County: $609 a month

Owners with a mortgage

64%

Merced County: 64%

In Gustine, 64% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,430 a month, against $1,915 in Merced County. Without one it drops to $483.

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

Since 2015–2019, homes in Gustine gained value faster than in Merced County: 98% against 55%.

Much as in Merced County, the typical rent in Gustine rose 31% since 2015–2019.

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

MeasureGustineMerced 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 2.453.322.842.53
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 Gustine are smaller: 2.45 people on average; in Merced County, 3.32.

To get to work, 81% of workers in Gustine drive alone; 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 Gustine?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Gustine, worth $441,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 71% of the typical household income in Gustine, which is $59,532 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $150,379 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 Gustine. 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 $15,460 (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

$3,509

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$433,699
Total interest
$623,991
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $7,459 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,389 a month

  • Tight

    $1,389 to $1,786 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,786 a month

    Your payment · 71%

Compared with the typical household income in Gustine ($59,532 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,509
Principal & interest$2,938
Property tax$191
Home insurance$184
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$195

You need at least $15,460 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

Gustine and Merced County

Gustine 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).

Gustine's own numbers

Typical home value
$441,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,395
Typical yearly household income
$59,532
Households that own their home
57%
Effective property tax rate
0.52%

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 Gustine

A typical home in Gustine is worth $441,700: 13% above the county and 40% below California. With the typical household income in Gustine ($59,532 a year), a typical home costs 7.4 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.

  • Gustine 7.4 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

Gustine 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
  • Gustine $441,700
  • Merced $391,800
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Gustine $1,395
  • Merced $1,343
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Gustine $59,532
  • Merced $65,510
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Gustine next to Merced County and California
Measure Gustine Merced County California U.S.
Typical home value $441,700 $391,800 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,395 $1,343 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $59,532 $65,510 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 57% 54% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,275 $2,634 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.52% 0.67% 0.7% 0.94%

“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 Gustine

For a typical $441,700 home in Gustine, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Gustine's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,509a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $15,460
    Cash to close
    $28,711
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $195

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,428a month

    Down payment
    $22,085
    Cash to close
    $35,336
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $210

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,769a month

    Down payment
    $88,340
    Cash to close
    $101,591
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,178a month

    Down payment
    $66,255
    Cash to close
    $79,506
    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 Gustine and for Merced County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Gustine

0.52%of the home’s value each year

$2,275 a year for the typical owner in Gustine.

  • Gustine 0.52%
  • 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 Gustine

Typical rent in Gustine is $1,395 a month: 4% above the county.

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 Gustine

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Gustine is in ZIP code 95322.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,590: $73 more than the fair market rent for Merced County ($1,517).

  • 95322 $1,590$2,200

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

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in Gustine.

  • Gustine Garden Apartments 394 Wallis Ave, Gustine 95322 34 homes, 33 low-income · 1 bd: 34 · In service since 2015

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

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Gustine

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.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Gustine

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

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

  • Habitat for Humanity, Stanislaus County

    2260 Tenaya Dr, Modesto · 26 miles away

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

  • Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley - Milpitas

    1608 Las Plumas Ave, San Jose · 49 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (510) 803-3362

  • Visionary Home Builders of California

    315 N San Joaquin St, Stockton · 51 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (209) 466-6811

All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Gustine

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 Gustine

HUD’s record names them for Gustine 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 Gustine, 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 Gustine.

All guides
Two girls write and draw together at the living-room table.

Questions

Housing questions about Gustine

Short answers with the numbers for Gustine 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 Gustine?

The typical home value in Gustine is $441,700, 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 Gustine?

Typical rent in Gustine is $1,395 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 Gustine?

Gustine 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 Gustine?

The typical homeowner in Gustine pays $2,275 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.52% of the home’s value; in Merced County, the rate is 0.67%.

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

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).