Homeownership Under $1M: 5 Cheapest Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area

If you’re worried that homeownership in the San Francisco Bay Area is impossible without at least a million bucks, fret no more. There are still a few local counties where you can buy a home for only 6 figures.

There is a total of 9 counties that touch the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and naturally, San Francisco.  According to the most recent real estate market reports from the California Association of Realtors (CAR), 5 of these counties show median home sales prices under $1,000,000. From the Silicon Valley to Wine Country, here are the 5 most affordable counties to own a home in the San Francisco Bay Area:

Related: 7 Cheapest San Francisco Neighborhoods

1. Solano County, CA

County seat: Fairfield, CA
Known for: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vacaville Outlets, Brannan Island State Recreation Area
Median home sales price, as of June 2017: $420,000

2. Sonoma County, CA

County seat: Santa Rosa, CA
Known for: Point Reyes National Seashore, Bodega Bay, Guerneville, Russian River
Median home sales price, as of June 2017: $627,000

3. Contra Costa County, CA

County seat: Martinez, CA
Known for: Redwood Regional Park, Mount Diablo State Park, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Median home sales price, as of June 2017: $660,000

4. Napa County, CA

County seat: City of Napa, CA
Known for: wine, food, scenery
Median home sales price, as of June 2017: $685,000

5. Alameda County, CA

County seat: Oakland, CA
Known for: UC Berkeley, history, culture, Lake Merritt, cheaper than San Francisco and better weather
Median home sales price, as of June 2017: $900,000