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San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County: at 7.40%, buying the median-priced home costs about 1.6 times the typical rent

By Dr. Hamid Rowshan, Choice of America

In San Bernardino County, the monthly payment on a median-priced home now runs well above the typical rent, while buyers have more time and room to negotiate.

San Bernardino County still posts the lowest median asking price among the five Southern California counties Choice of America serves, but mortgage rates have widened the gap between renting and owning. Realtor.com's September 2026 data put the county's median listing price at $531,944 (FRED MEDLISPRI6071), essentially flat versus $532,500 in September 2025, a drop of about $556, or 0.1%. Over the same year, Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 6.30% to 7.40% in the week of October 8, 2026 (FRED MORTGAGE30US), the highest weekly average since November 2023. It was 6.71% at the start of September and as low as 5.98% in late February. The next weekly reading is due October 15.

Here is what that does to a payment. As an illustration, a buyer putting 20% down on today's median, or about $106,389, would borrow about $425,555. At 7.40%, principal and interest on a 30-year fixed loan comes to about $2,946 a month. A year ago, 20% down on the $532,500 median at 6.30% would have meant a loan of $426,000 and a payment of about $2,637. So the median asking price is about $556 lower, but principal and interest is about $310 a month higher. At February's 5.98%, today's median would have cost about $2,546 a month, roughly $400 less than now. All of these figures leave out property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and any Mello-Roos assessments that are common in newer Inland Empire tracts.

Set that against what San Bernardino County households earn and pay to rent. The U.S. Census Bureau's QuickFacts puts the county's median household income at $85,478 (2020-2024 American Community Survey, in 2024 dollars), or about $7,123 a month before taxes. Principal and interest alone on the example loan would take about 41% of that. To keep principal and interest at 30% of gross income, a common affordability benchmark, a household would need about $118,000 a year, roughly 1.4 times the county median, and that is before taxes and insurance are added. QuickFacts puts median gross rent, which includes utilities, at $1,801 a month. The example payment of $2,946 is about 1.6 times that rent, a gap of about $1,145 a month. Existing owners are in a different position: the median homeowner with a mortgage pays $2,368 a month in total owner costs, which include the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities, and 62.1% of the county's homes are owner-occupied.

The market itself is giving buyers more time and room to negotiate. There were 6,141 active listings in September (FRED ACTLISCOU6071), up about 1% from a year earlier, and 2,138 new listings came on (FRED NEWLISCOU6071), up about 3.5% from September 2025. Pending listings, homes with an accepted offer that had not yet closed, fell to 1,952 (FRED PENLISCOU6071) from 2,130 a year earlier, or about 32 homes in escrow for every 100 for sale. The median listing spent 65 days on the market (FRED MEDDAYONMAR6071), quicker than the 71 days of September 2025 but still the longest of the five Southern California counties Choice of America serves. Realtor.com reports that 18.1% of San Bernardino County listings had a price reduction in September, down from 18.7% in August but up from 16.9% a year ago, while 1.0% had a price increase. The median listing had 1,662 square feet, and the median asking price was $331 per square foot (FRED MEDLISPRIPERSQUFEE6071), down from $335 a year earlier and just above Riverside County's $329, the lowest of the five.

What this means day to day: from Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, and Montclair to Fontana, Rialto, Colton, San Bernardino, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa, and up through Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Barstow, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms, the entry price is still the region's lowest, but the monthly cost of borrowing is what decides whether a home works. Buyers should get a fresh pre-approval at today's rate rather than relying on one from the summer, and compare the full monthly cost of owning with their rent, including property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and Mello-Roos. With about one listing in five showing a price cut and homes taking more than two months to sell, buyers can ask for seller credits toward closing costs or a rate buydown, which can lower the monthly payment more than a small price cut. The county's mean travel time to work is 32.6 minutes, so test the drive at rush hour on the 10, the 210, the 15, or the 215 before you commit. Sellers should price close to recent comparable sales from the first day and have recent insurance and disclosure information ready, because buyers are measuring every listing against their rent and their full monthly budget.

At Choice of America, we help buyers, sellers, and renters across San Bernardino County compare payments, neighborhoods, and trade-offs city by city. Visit our San Bernardino County page for local guidance, or call or text us to talk through your plans.

Choice of America · San Bernardino County real estate

Dr. Hamid Rowshan, DRE #02004794, company DRE #02240008. Choice of America, serving Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Call or text 833-THIS-BROKER, (833) 842-7465.

Payment figures are an illustration based on the median asking price, a 20% down payment, and Freddie Mac's average rates, principal and interest only; they are not a loan quote. Census income, owner-cost, and rent figures are 2020-2024 five-year averages and are not directly comparable to current listing data; the comparison is for context only.

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Dr. Hamid Rowshan · DRE #02004794 · Company DRE #02240008 · Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego counties.

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