Appreciation Velocity — California Cities
Cities of California ranked by 1Y / 3Y / 5Y home-price appreciation.
Public Record
Top 10 — 5Y appreciation (Countys)
#1 · Siskiyou, CA
+436.8%
#2 · Shasta, CA
+235.0%
#3 · Kings, CA
+157.8%
#4 · Napa, CA
+111.6%
#5 · Sierra, CA
+101.4%
#6 · Tulare, CA
+87.7%
#7 · El Dorado, CA
+64.1%
#8 · Tehama, CA
+62.2%
#9 · Los Angeles, CA
+57.3%
#10 · Butte, CA
+54.3%
County ranking — 5Y appreciation (highest first)
| # | County | State | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Current median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siskiyou, CA | CA | +174.3% | +309.2% | +436.8% | +503.6% | $1.24M |
| 2 | Shasta, CA | CA | +179.2% | +304.2% | +235.0% | +308.0% | $1.05M |
| 3 | Kings, CA | CA | +71.5% | +145.4% | +157.8% | +303.6% | $876K |
| 4 | Napa, CA | CA | +20.4% | +85.0% | +111.6% | +216.6% | $2.73M |
| 5 | Sierra, CA | CA | -68.6% | +466.7% | +101.4% | +132.2% | $425K |
| 6 | Tulare, CA | CA | -7.4% | +43.3% | +87.7% | +99.1% | $560.1K |
| 7 | El Dorado, CA | CA | +15.4% | +54.9% | +64.1% | -3.8% | $838.6K |
| 8 | Tehama, CA | CA | +20.0% | +72.3% | +62.2% | +106.7% | $369.9K |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | CA | +3.5% | +55.5% | +57.3% | +84.5% | $1.76M |
| 10 | Butte, CA | CA | -8.1% | +48.8% | +54.3% | -23.2% | $328K |
| 11 | Colusa, CA | CA | +3.7% | +33.5% | +52.7% | +150.5% | $529.6K |
| 12 | San Mateo, CA | CA | -6.3% | +35.6% | +50.9% | +101.5% | $3.01M |
| 13 | San Diego, CA | CA | +9.2% | +67.5% | +46.0% | +9.4% | $1.4M |
| 14 | San Francisco, CA | CA | +18.6% | +84.4% | +42.8% | +58.4% | $2.35M |
| 15 | Fresno, CA | CA | +7.7% | -49.1% | +42.2% | +98.8% | $528.8K |
| 16 | Ventura, CA | CA | -7.4% | +2.2% | +38.4% | +79.7% | $1.36M |
| 17 | Santa Clara, CA | CA | -5.9% | -0.4% | +36.7% | +109.7% | $2.18M |
| 18 | Santa Barbara, CA | CA | +9.8% | +29.1% | +36.5% | +186.7% | $2.63M |
| 19 | Del Norte, CA | CA | -16.4% | +110.4% | +36.3% | +20.7% | $263K |
| 20 | Nevada, CA | CA | +6.7% | +41.9% | +33.1% | +104.6% | $689.4K |
| 21 | Kern, CA | CA | -10.5% | +26.4% | +32.5% | +66.3% | $366.8K |
| 22 | Lassen, CA | CA | +17.8% | -11.0% | +31.8% | +60.7% | $251.8K |
| 23 | Amador, CA | CA | -4.5% | +12.9% | +31.5% | -91.0% | $420.8K |
| 24 | Sonoma, CA | CA | -21.2% | -18.6% | +31.3% | +53.1% | $1.13M |
| 25 | Yolo, CA | CA | -2.7% | -7.2% | +30.3% | -72.4% | $701K |
| 26 | Tuolumne, CA | CA | +12.8% | +28.0% | +29.9% | +73.1% | $432K |
| 27 | San Luis Obispo, CA | CA | -16.0% | -64.8% | +26.8% | +81.9% | $928.9K |
| 28 | Orange, CA | CA | -19.2% | +20.1% | +22.1% | +80.5% | $1.78M |
| 29 | San Benito, CA | CA | -5.7% | -8.2% | +19.8% | +73.4% | $908.3K |
| 30 | Humboldt, CA | CA | +12.5% | +25.8% | +19.3% | +39.7% | $421.6K |
| 31 | San Bernardino, CA | CA | -3.9% | +38.8% | +18.0% | +50.2% | $531.5K |
| 32 | Stanislaus, CA | CA | -8.0% | +4.4% | +14.1% | +71.5% | $492.2K |
| 33 | Riverside, CA | CA | +7.6% | +37.7% | +13.9% | +54.3% | $784.8K |
| 34 | Calaveras, CA | CA | +8.3% | +0.7% | +12.8% | +60.3% | $432.1K |
| 35 | Santa Cruz, CA | CA | -10.7% | +9.9% | +10.5% | +50.5% | $1.14M |
| 36 | Marin, CA | CA | +24.3% | +53.1% | +7.8% | +92.8% | $2.65M |
| 37 | Sutter, CA | CA | -31.1% | +10.8% | +7.5% | +10.8% | $357.7K |
| 38 | Glenn, CA | CA | -20.7% | -25.2% | +7.0% | +93.8% | $302.8K |
| 39 | Merced, CA | CA | -3.1% | +13.3% | +6.0% | -2.3% | $530K |
| 40 | Contra Costa, CA | CA | +29.4% | +47.9% | +4.5% | +108.4% | $1.46M |
| 41 | Trinity, CA | CA | +116.0% | +54.7% | +0.4% | +69.7% | $369.3K |
| 42 | Lake, CA | CA | -4.5% | -17.1% | -6.2% | -4.3% | $246.7K |
| 43 | Mendocino, CA | CA | +7.7% | +24.9% | -9.8% | +39.4% | $603.2K |
| 44 | Mariposa, CA | CA | -55.1% | -33.3% | -10.4% | +11.9% | $253.2K |
| 45 | Imperial, CA | CA | -0.8% | +42.9% | -14.5% | +51.7% | $334.2K |
| 46 | Mono, CA | CA | -15.2% | +7.4% | -14.8% | +103.5% | $650.3K |
| 47 | Modoc, CA | CA | -63.9% | -40.1% | -14.9% | +43.0% | $160.1K |
| 48 | Yuba, CA | CA | +20.2% | +20.9% | -15.3% | +39.5% | $480.1K |
| 49 | Washoe, CA | CA | -5.5% | -25.9% | -20.7% | +15.1% | $540.2K |
| 50 | Alameda, CA | CA | -6.4% | +7.7% | -21.1% | +45.1% | $1.11M |
| 51 | San Joaquin, CA | CA | -14.6% | -50.4% | -22.2% | -42.4% | $508.3K |
| 52 | Alpine, CA | CA | -14.3% | -34.8% | -22.3% | +1.0% | $311.5K |
| 53 | Monterey, CA | CA | +73.8% | -33.2% | -24.4% | +27.0% | $975.6K |
| 54 | Madera, CA | CA | -37.1% | -82.7% | -27.6% | -32.7% | $395.6K |
| 55 | Placer, CA | CA | -21.6% | -40.7% | -44.6% | -54.5% | $901.7K |
| 56 | Sacramento, CA | CA | +0.2% | -38.5% | -53.4% | -40.0% | $614.8K |
| 57 | Solano, CA | CA | -21.9% | -13.7% | -54.7% | -54.9% | $504.9K |
| 58 | Plumas, CA | CA | -51.8% | -50.1% | -64.7% | -22.8% | $154.3K |
How to read these numbers
Velocity vs. level
A market with 25% one-year appreciation is moving fast — but a market with steady 6% over ten years has compounded much further. Use 10Y as the long-run signal, 1Y as the momentum signal.
Mean-reversion risk
Markets that posted huge 1Y and 3Y gains often cool over the next cycle. Compare 1Y to 5Y: if 1Y is far above 5Y, the trend is accelerating; if far below, it is decelerating — often the more important signal.
Sample sanity
We require a minimum current median price (default $50K) to filter out tiny ZIPs with noisy data. Raise that threshold for serious investment markets; lower it to find emerging niches. Source: public record.