The 93555 zip code in Ridgecrest, California tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live on the West Coast.
Whether you're searching for affordable cities and towns to buy a home or the places with the lowest cost of living to rent, consider the following zip codes.
🏠 Want to buy in Ridgecrest or another affordable city on the West Coast? Connect with a local agent who knows the market.
Top 10 most affordable places to live on the West Coast
The West Coast includes California, Oregon, and Washington.
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgecrest, CA 🥇 | 80.6 | $269,193 | $1,389 |
| 2 | Spokane, WA🥈 | 73.3 | $317,775 | $1,370 |
| 3 | Pendleton, OR 🥉 | 69.0 | $293,532 | $1,222 |
| 4 | Susanville, CA | 68.6 | $235,226 | $2,754 |
| 5 | Yakima, WA | 68.2 | $296,615 | $1,156 |
| 6 | Coalinga, CA | 67.5 | $293,579 | $1,164 |
| 7 | Sonora, CA | 66.4 | $404,538 | $1,263 |
| 8 | Toppenish, WA | 66.3 | $274,040 | $2,063 |
| 9 | West Richland, WA | 65.9 | $493,312 | $1,934 |
| 10 | Hoquiam, WA | 64.9 | $241,808 | $2,063 |
What these affordable cities and towns have in common
The 10 zip codes we ranked share a common trait: a low cost of living relative to the regional median.
Median home values, rental costs, and property taxes generally sit below the regional averages, while household incomes remain strong enough to keep home affordability ratios manageable. Below, we look at each market in detail.
✍️ Editor's note: The cities below represent multiple states, which means the affordability picture extends beyond what any single ranking can capture. State income taxes, sales taxes, climate, and job market strength vary significantly across the region.
These factors can shift the real cost of living by thousands of dollars per year. Use these rankings to narrow your search, then dig into the state-specific factors that matter most to you.
1. Ridgecrest, California
Here's why the 93555 zip code in Ridgecrest is the region's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Ridgecrest
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 80.6 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $269,193[1] | No. 12 | -$441,479 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.1 | No. 1 | -3.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 16.9%[2] | No. 222 | -5.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.8%[3] | No. 955 | 1.8% |
| Rental costs | $1,389[4] | No. 15 | -$822 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.60% | No. 21 | -0.6% |
| Median household income | $86,700[5] | No. 656 | -$13,554 |
| Property taxes | $2,351[6] | No. 53 | -$2,708 |
| Energy costs | $0.25 kWh[7] | No. 247 | $0.10 |
Ridgecrest's 93555 zip code is the cheapest place to live on the West Coast, leading the 1,341 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $269,193, making it the 12th-cheapest housing market in the region. Forecasts project a 0.8% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $1,389 per month, which is the 21st-cheapest amount on the West Coast.
The median property tax for homeowners in Ridgecrest is $2,351 per household, the No. 53 ranked market on the West Coast.
Residents pay $0.25 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 247 among the region's markets.
2. Spokane, Washington
The 99205 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live on the West Coast.
🔎 Key data about Spokane
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 73.3 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $317,775[1] | No. 9 | -$392,897 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.1 | No. 3 | -2.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 24.2%[2] | No. 113 | 2.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.2%[3] | No. 73 | -0.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,370[4] | No. 7 | -$840 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.77% | No. 53 | -0.4% |
| Median household income | $77,374[5] | No. 175 | -$22,880 |
| Property taxes | $2,480[6] | No. 19 | -$2,579 |
| Energy costs | $0.09 kWh[7] | No. 111 | -$0.06 |
Spokane's 99205 zip code has a median home value of $317,775, which is the 9th-cheapest housing market on the West Coast. You can rent for an average of $1,370 per month. That's the 7th-cheapest price in the region.
The average household income in the zip code is $77,374, which ranks 175th-highest on the West Coast.
Homeowners in Spokane pay a median property tax of $2,480 per year, making it the 19th-most affordable market in the region.
Spokane ranks No. 111 among the region's energy markets. You'll pay $0.09 per kWh of electricity.
3. Pendleton, Oregon
The 3rd-least-expensive place to live on the West Coast is Pendleton's 97801 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Pendleton
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 69.0 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $293,532[1] | No. 3 | -$417,140 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.1 | No. 1 | -2.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 29.7%[2] | No. 119 | 7.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.3%[3] | No. 119 | 1.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,222[4] | No. 4 | -$989 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.71% | No. 16 | -0.5% |
| Median household income | $71,639[5] | No. 84 | -$28,615 |
| Property taxes | $2,898[6] | No. 26 | -$2,161 |
| Energy costs | $0.08 kWh[7] | No. 30 | -$0.07 |
The No. 3 cheapest housing market on the West Coast is Pendleton's 97801 zip code, with a median home value of $293,532. Rents in the market average $1,222 per month, making it the 4th-most affordable rental market in the region.
The median property tax for households in Pendleton is $2,898, which makes it the 26th-cheapest place on the West Coast. Pendleton ranks No. 30 among the region's markets by energy costs. Residents pay $0.08 per kWh of electricity.
4. Susanville, California
The 96130 zip code in Susanville comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live on the West Coast.
🔎 Key data about Susanville
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 68.6 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $235,226[1] | No. 4 | -$475,446 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.2 | No. 2 | -3.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 9.5%[2] | No. 82 | -12.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.8%[3] | No. 42 | -1.8% |
| Rental costs | $2,754[4] | No. 450 | $544 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.60% | No. 436 | 0.4% |
| Median household income | $72,465[5] | No. 813 | -$27,789 |
| Property taxes | $1,921[6] | No. 27 | -$3,138 |
| Energy costs | $0.26 kWh[7] | No. 495 | $0.11 |
The No. 4 cheapest housing market on the West Coast is Susanville's 96130 zip code, where the median home value is $235,226. Renters here pay an average of $2,754 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Susanville ranks 495th among the region's markets. Residents pay $0.26 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $1,921, which makes it the 27th-cheapest market on the West Coast.
5. Yakima, Washington
The 98902 zip code in Yakima ranks No. 5 among the region's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Yakima
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 68.2 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $296,615[1] | No. 6 | -$414,057 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.7 | No. 19 | -2.3 |
| Home value five-year change | 21.9%[2] | No. 79 | 0.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.9%[3] | No. 174 | 0.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,156[4] | No. 2 | -$1,054 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.83% | No. 72 | -0.4% |
| Median household income | $63,092[5] | No. 215 | -$37,162 |
| Property taxes | $2,104[6] | No. 7 | -$2,955 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[7] | No. 185 | -$0.04 |
Yakima's 98902 zip code has a median home value of $296,615, the 6th-cheapest housing market in the region. Forecasts project a -0.9% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Yakima is $2,104. It's the 7th-cheapest market by tax rate on the West Coast.
6. Coalinga, California
The No. 6 most affordable city to live on the West Coast is the 93210 zip code in Coalinga.
🔎 Key data about Coalinga
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 67.5 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $293,579[1] | No. 16 | -$417,093 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.9 | No. 5 | -3.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 35.3%[2] | No. 824 | 13.3% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.1%[3] | No. 728 | 1.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,164[4] | No. 2 | -$1,046 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.56% | No. 16 | -0.6% |
| Median household income | $74,817[5] | No. 784 | -$25,437 |
| Property taxes | $2,327[6] | No. 51 | -$2,732 |
| Energy costs | $0.33 kWh[7] | No. 632 | $0.17 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Coalinga's 93210 zip code, which has the 16th-cheapest home values on the West Coast. The median home value is $293,579. Rents average $1,164 per month, making it the 2nd-most affordable rental market in the region.
Residents pay $0.33 per kWh of electricity. It's the 632nd-cheapest energy market.
7. Sonora, California
Sonora's 95370 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live on the West Coast.
🔎 Key data about Sonora
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 66.4 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $404,538[1] | No. 94 | -$306,134 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.9 | No. 43 | -2.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 9.5%[2] | No. 81 | -12.5% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.0%[3] | No. 178 | -1.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,263[4] | No. 3 | -$948 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.52% | No. 12 | -0.7% |
| Median household income | $82,990[5] | No. 692 | -$17,264 |
| Property taxes | $2,919[6] | No. 131 | -$2,140 |
| Energy costs | $0.33 kWh[7] | No. 632 | $0.17 |
You'll find the 94th-cheapest home values on the West Coast in Sonora's 95370 zip code. The median value: $404,538. Renters in Sonora pay an average of $1,263 per month.
Homeowners in Sonora pay a median property tax of $2,919 per year, which is the region's 131st-most affordable market.
The average household income is $82,990, which ranks 692nd-highest on the West Coast.
8. Toppenish, Washington
The 8th-least-expensive place to live on the West Coast is Toppenish's 98948 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Toppenish
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 66.3 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $274,040[1] | No. 3 | -$436,632 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.2 | No. 4 | -2.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 22.2%[2] | No. 86 | 0.3% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.0%[3] | No. 144 | 0.0% |
| Rental costs | $2,063[4] | No. 112 | -$148 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.93% | No. 92 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | $65,759[5] | No. 205 | -$34,495 |
| Property taxes | $2,031[6] | No. 6 | -$3,028 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[7] | No. 179 | -$0.05 |
The 3rd-cheapest housing market on the West Coast is Toppenish's 98948 zip code, with a median home value of $274,040. Renters pay an average of $2,063 per month, the No. 112 rental market in the region.
The median property tax for households in Toppenish is $2,031, which makes it the 6th-cheapest place on the West Coast. The average household income of $65,759 ranks 205th.
9. West Richland, Washington
West Richland's 99353 zip code is one of the region's most affordable towns, sneaking into the top ten of our rankings.
🔎 Key data about West Richland
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 65.9 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $493,312[1] | No. 64 | -$217,360 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.0 | No. 2 | -3.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 24.4%[2] | No. 120 | 2.5% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.5%[3] | No. 201 | 0.5% |
| Rental costs | $1,934[4] | No. 84 | -$277 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.59% | No. 22 | -0.6% |
| Median household income | $121,845[5] | No. 58 | $21,591 |
| Property taxes | $4,094[6] | No. 78 | -$965 |
| Energy costs | $0.09 kWh[7] | No. 100 | -$0.06 |
The 64th-cheapest housing market on the West Coast is West Richland's 99353 zip code, where the median home value is $493,312. Renters pay an average of $1,934 per month. It's the region's 84th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $4,094, which makes it the 78th-cheapest property tax rate on the West Coast.
10. Hoquiam, Washington
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live on the West Coast goes to the 98550 zip code in Hoquiam.
🔎 Key data about Hoquiam
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 1,341 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 64.9 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $241,808[1] | No. 1 | -$468,864 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.4 | No. 7 | -2.6 |
| Home value five-year change | 22.7%[2] | No. 93 | 0.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.2%[3] | No. 1 | -1.2% |
| Rental costs | $2,063[4] | No. 112 | -$148 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.93% | No. 92 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | $55,040[5] | No. 222 | -$45,214 |
| Property taxes | $1,997[6] | No. 5 | -$3,062 |
| Energy costs | $0.13 kWh[7] | No. 201 | -$0.03 |
Rounding out our top 10 is Hoquiam's 98550 zip code, with the 1st-cheapest home values in the region. The median home value is $241,808. Rent in the market costs $2,063 per month on average, making it the 112th-most affordable rental market on the West Coast.
The median property tax for households in Hoquiam is $1,997, which is the 5th-cheapest property tax rate in the region.
Hoquiam ranks No. 201 among West Coast markets by energy costs, with households paying $0.13 per kWh of electricity.
What questions about these cities should I ask local agents?
Once you've found a town you're interested in, you'll want to ask a local agent for details our rankings can't capture. Start with these four questions:
- What neighborhoods inside this zip code have the best resale value?
- What's the rental market like right now?
- Are there local property tax exemptions or homestead programs you'd qualify for?
- What are the most common surprises buyers run into here?
🏡 Need a local agent? We can connect you with an expert who knows the market.
Frequently asked questions about the least expensive places to live on the West Coast
Based on Clever's Affordability Score, the 93555 zip code in Ridgecrest, CA, is the cheapest place to live on the West Coast.
The median home value is $269,193, and the median household income is $86,700, giving Ridgecrest a home affordability ratio of 3.1, meaning a typical home costs about that many times the median annual income.
See our Affordability Score methodology and the full ranking of the 10 cheapest places to live on the West Coast.
The median home value on the West Coast is $710,672.
See the rankings above for how individual cities compare to this region-wide figure.
The median amount homeowners pay in property taxes on the West Coast is $5,059 per year.
Property taxes vary significantly by location, however. The tax figures in the rankings above show how each of the 10 cheapest places stacks up against the regional median.
📍 The 10 cheapest places to live in your state
How we ranked the most affordable cities and towns on the West Coast
We evaluated 1,341 zip codes on the West Coast with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a region by zip code.
Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
Methodology: What is an Affordability Score?
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in region) to 100 (best in region) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value on the West Coast, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 13.0% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 28.0% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 10.0% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 8.0% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 7.0% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 5.0% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 17.0% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the regional average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 8.0% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the regional average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 4.0% to energy costs.
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