Rental DSCR · California
Where rent covers the loan in California
At a 7% example rate, a 3-bedroom rental on a mid-market home covers its full payment in 6 of 58 California counties (10%). The typical California county has a DSCR of 0.83. Among markets with at least 2,500 renter homes and a loan of $55,000 or more, the highest DSCRs are in Lake County at 1.21, Lassen County at 1.09 and Kern County at 1.02.
The biggest rental markets
In California’s largest rental markets, the rent falls short of the payment in Los Angeles County (DSCR 0.77, break-even 4.3%), San Diego County (DSCR 0.73, break-even under 4%) and Orange County (DSCR 0.70, break-even under 4%).
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Financing a rental in California? Read Pinnacle Funding Network’s California DSCR loan guide.
Every California county, ranked
Ranked by DSCR at a 7% example rate on a mid-market home, 75% loan. † A 75% loan there is under $55,000, the smallest DSCR loan through Pinnacle Funding Network. * Small survey sample; treat as rough.
| # | County | Renter homes | 3-bed rent | Home price | DSCR at 7% (example) | Break-even rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra County | 340 | $1,909 | $252,100 | 1.28 | 10.1% |
| 2 | Lake County | 7,499 | $1,942 | $269,500 | 1.21 | 9.4% |
| 3 | Lassen County | 2,942 | $1,536 | $237,100 | 1.09 | 8.0% |
| 4 | Kern County | 113,798 | $2,019 | $326,200 | 1.02 | 7.3% |
| 5 | Shasta County | 24,538 | $1,921 | $324,100 | 1.01 | 7.1% |
| 6 | Inyo County* | 2,701 | $1,774 | $296,800 | 1.01 | 7.1% |
| 7 | Modoc County* | 737 | $1,228 | $212,500 | 0.97 | 6.6% |
| 8 | Del Norte County | 2,849 | $1,735 | $313,900 | 0.95 | 6.4% |
| 9 | Kings County | 20,182 | $1,796 | $322,500 | 0.94 | 6.3% |
| 10 | San Benito County | 6,591 | $3,995 | $720,000 | 0.94 | 6.3% |
| 11 | Tehama County | 8,148 | $1,626 | $297,800 | 0.93 | 6.2% |
| 12 | Fresno County | 144,331 | $2,065 | $379,400 | 0.92 | 6.1% |
| 13 | Siskiyou County | 5,876 | $1,516 | $281,600 | 0.92 | 6.0% |
| 14 | Sacramento County | 233,991 | $2,644 | $499,700 | 0.90 | 5.8% |
| 15 | Glenn County | 3,808 | $1,678 | $322,200 | 0.89 | 5.7% |
| 16 | Tulare County | 59,494 | $1,711 | $327,800 | 0.88 | 5.6% |
| 17 | Napa County | 18,208 | $3,963 | $771,900 | 0.88 | 5.6% |
| 18 | Butte County | 35,595 | $1,894 | $367,700 | 0.88 | 5.5% |
| 19 | Santa Cruz County | 38,819 | $4,608 | $912,400 | 0.87 | 5.5% |
| 20 | Sonoma County | 71,400 | $3,703 | $732,300 | 0.87 | 5.4% |
| 21 | San Bernardino County | 256,079 | $2,478 | $488,300 | 0.87 | 5.4% |
| 22 | Yuba County | 10,453 | $1,943 | $378,900 | 0.87 | 5.4% |
| 23 | Santa Barbara County | 71,264 | $3,851 | $770,300 | 0.86 | 5.4% |
| 24 | San Joaquin County | 93,220 | $2,486 | $489,100 | 0.86 | 5.4% |
| 25 | Imperial County | 21,434 | $1,623 | $318,400 | 0.85 | 5.2% |
| 26 | Solano County | 58,249 | $2,809 | $564,900 | 0.85 | 5.2% |
| 27 | Yolo County | 35,056 | $2,767 | $556,500 | 0.84 | 5.1% |
| 28 | Stanislaus County | 69,046 | $2,138 | $432,000 | 0.84 | 5.1% |
| 29 | Humboldt County | 23,869 | $1,975 | $408,100 | 0.83 | 5.0% |
| 30 | Sutter County | 12,875 | $1,993 | $406,700 | 0.83 | 4.9% |
| 31 | Tuolumne County | 5,919 | $1,874 | $391,300 | 0.82 | 4.8% |
| 32 | Merced County | 39,581 | $1,835 | $383,500 | 0.82 | 4.8% |
| 33 | Mendocino County | 13,342 | $2,126 | $445,000 | 0.82 | 4.8% |
| 34 | Riverside County | 239,349 | $2,616 | $545,000 | 0.81 | 4.7% |
| 35 | Amador County | 3,150 | $1,924 | $404,400 | 0.81 | 4.7% |
| 36 | Mariposa County | 1,897 | $1,700 | $362,200 | 0.81 | 4.7% |
| 37 | Placer County | 39,851 | $3,081 | $642,100 | 0.81 | 4.6% |
| 38 | Plumas County | 2,048 | $1,612 | $344,300 | 0.79 | 4.5% |
| 39 | Los Angeles County | 1,848,466 | $3,605 | $800,900 | 0.77 | 4.3% |
| 40 | Madera County | 14,766 | $1,732 | $387,300 | 0.76 | 4.0% |
| 41 | San Luis Obispo County | 41,517 | $3,460 | $803,500 | 0.74 | Under 4% |
| 42 | San Diego County | 532,140 | $3,582 | $839,700 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 43 | Trinity County | 1,579 | $1,287 | $305,300 | 0.73 | Under 4% |
| 44 | Nevada County | 10,523 | $2,349 | $554,000 | 0.72 | Under 4% |
| 45 | Colusa County | 2,838 | $1,578 | $379,200 | 0.72 | Under 4% |
| 46 | Monterey County | 63,496 | $3,077 | $746,300 | 0.71 | Under 4% |
| 47 | Contra Costa County | 132,598 | $3,229 | $768,000 | 0.71 | Under 4% |
| 48 | El Dorado County | 17,341 | $2,455 | $601,700 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 49 | Orange County | 472,301 | $4,005 | $990,300 | 0.70 | Under 4% |
| 50 | Calaveras County | 2,957 | $1,697 | $415,500 | 0.69 | Under 4% |
| 51 | Ventura County | 99,321 | $3,126 | $798,500 | 0.67 | Under 4% |
| 52 | San Francisco County | 224,913 | $4,698 | $1,229,000 | 0.65 | Under 4% |
| 53 | Alameda County | 272,737 | $3,528 | $949,900 | 0.63 | Under 4% |
| 54 | Mono County* | 1,986 | $2,157 | $606,700 | 0.61 | Under 4% |
| 55 | Marin County | 36,402 | $4,680 | $1,319,300 | 0.61 | Under 4% |
| 56 | San Mateo County | 109,812 | $4,689 | $1,391,400 | 0.58 | Under 4% |
| 57 | Alpine County | 95 | $1,909 | $558,500 | 0.58 | Under 4% |
| 58 | Santa Clara County | 296,206 | $4,235 | $1,381,900 | 0.53 | Under 4% |
Rates on this page are a 7% example, not a quote or an offer. DSCR here is 3-bedroom rent divided by principal, interest, property tax and insurance on a 75% loan with a 30-year fixed payment. At 1.00 the rent pays all of it. Figures are estimates from public data, for education only.
Questions
In how many California counties does a 3-bedroom rental cover the payment at 7%?
At a 7% example rate, a 3-bedroom rental on a mid-market home covers its full payment in 6 of 58 California counties (10%). The typical California county has a DSCR of 0.83. Move the example rate and the count changes: 13 counties cover at 6%, 6 at 7% and 3 at 8%.
Where in California does rent go furthest against the payment?
Among markets with at least 2,500 renter homes and a loan of $55,000 or more, the highest DSCRs are in Lake County at 1.21, Lassen County at 1.09 and Kern County at 1.02.
Do California’s biggest rental markets cover the payment?
In California’s largest rental markets, the rent falls short of the payment in Los Angeles County (DSCR 0.77, break-even 4.3%), San Diego County (DSCR 0.73, break-even under 4%) and Orange County (DSCR 0.70, break-even under 4%).
How is this calculated?
Rent is HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a 3-bedroom, adjusted to each county. Home prices are about the 40th percentile of local values from the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, brought to mid-2026 with the FHFA house price index. Property tax uses each county’s effective rate and insurance starts from NAIC 2023 average premiums. DSCR is rent divided by principal, interest, tax and insurance on a 75% loan at a 7% example rate, which is not a quote or an offer.
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