1st Advantage MortgageIn Placer County, California, the typical household earns $115,998 a year and the typical rent is $2,069. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Placer County, CA: the basics
- Placer County housing compared with California
- Income in Placer County compared with California
- The Placer County job picture
- Neighboring counties at a glance
- Towns and communities in Placer County
- A Placer County household budget, worked through
- Placer County households compared
- Before borrowing in Placer County
- Before you sign
- Checking a lender's license in California
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Placer County, CA: the basics
With an estimated 419,156 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Placer County ranks 22nd of 58 in California for population. It covers 1,407 square miles of land, or about 298 people per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. Roseville is the biggest of its 21 Census places, at roughly 155,955 people (37% of the county total).
Placer County housing compared with California
A typical Placer County rental runs $2,069 a month including utilities, which is 2% above California. By the Census definition, 58% of Placer County renters are cost-burdened. With a median value of $688,100, a typical Placer County house costs 5.9 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 75%.
| Cost | Placer County | California figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $2,069/mo | $2,036/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $688,100 | $734,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 75% | 56% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 58% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 34% | 38% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% | 3.5% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 12% | 7% | n/a |
Owners with equity have a second option. Weigh a secured line against an unsecured loan by risk as well as cost before you choose (how they compare). High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
Income in Placer County compared with California
The median household income in Placer County is $115,998; statewide it is $99,122, so Placer County runs 17% above California as a whole. That places it 8th among California's 58 county-level areas.
| Income band | Share in Placer County | Difference from California |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 13.6% | -4.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 29.8% | -2.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 32.2% | +3.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 24.4% | +3.9 pts |
The spread is wide: 57% of Placer County households make $100,000 or more, and 14% make less than $35,000. Census counts 6.8% of Placer County residents in poverty, against 12.0% across California. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.447 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $115,998 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
The Placer County job picture
The biggest employer of Placer County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 24% of workers, followed by professional and administrative services (14%). The sharpest difference from the state is in public administration, at 8% locally and 5% for California. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 4.8% in Placer County. Long commutes are common here: 16% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work.
| Where residents work | Placer County | Difference from California |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.7% | +1.6 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 13.9% | -0.6 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.2% | +0.2 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 8.5% | +2.9 pts |
| Public administration | 8.4% | +3.7 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.3% | -1.1 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Neighboring counties at a glance
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (16 to 53 miles). El Dorado County leads the group on income ($108,845), Sierra County trails ($63,355), and Placer County out-earns 6 of the six. Some neighbors are in Nevada. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Placer County resident follows California rules.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placer County | - | $115,998 | $2,069/mo | 75% |
| Nevada County, CA | 16 mi | $89,882 | $1,677/mo | 75% |
| El Dorado County, CA | 22 mi | $108,845 | $1,715/mo | 77% |
| Yuba County, CA | 36 mi | $76,373 | $1,311/mo | 63% |
| Sierra County, CA | 37 mi | $63,355 | n/a | 72% |
| Amador County, CA | 43 mi | $88,044 | $1,421/mo | 80% |
| Carson City, NV | 53 mi | $72,355 | $1,248/mo | 62% |
Towns and communities in Placer County
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 21 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 85% of Placer County residents live in one of the 21. Incomes vary by place: $184,606 at the median in Granite Bay, $68,153 in Kings Beach. Median rent ranges from $573 in Penryn to $2,740 in Granite Bay. City guides exist for the linked Placer County places; everyone else in the county can use this page.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseville | city | 155,955 | $119,288 | $2,142 | 38 mi |
| Rocklin | city | 73,327 | $124,168 | $2,258 | 33 mi |
| Lincoln | city | 52,956 | $111,990 | $2,090 | 33 mi |
| Granite Bay | CDP | 21,673 | $184,606 | $2,740 | 32 mi |
| Auburn | city | 13,768 | $82,674 | $1,501 | 22 mi |
| North Auburn | CDP | 13,480 | $71,056 | $1,742 | 21 mi |
| Loomis | town | 6,853 | $81,487 | $1,702 | 31 mi |
| Meadow Vista | CDP | 3,162 | $100,859 | $1,808 | 17 mi |
| Kings Beach | CDP | 2,736 | $68,153 | $1,271 | 40 mi |
| Colfax | city | 2,407 | $72,788 | $1,553 | 13 mi |
| Sunnyside-Tahoe City | CDP | 1,599 | $118,493 | $1,745 | 30 mi |
| Newcastle | CDP | 1,585 | $108,750 | $1,798 | 26 mi |
| Foresthill | CDP | 1,483 | $81,111 | $2,158 | 7 mi |
| Dollar Point | CDP | 1,477 | $76,774 | $2,340 | 34 mi |
CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.
A Placer County household budget, worked through
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Placer County's medians:
- $115,998 a year is $9,666 of gross monthly income
- Median rent: $2,069, or 21 cents of every gross dollar
- At 36%, room after rent is $1,411 a month
- 43% debt-to-income limit: $2,088 left for all other debt payments
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Placer County households compared
43% of Placer County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. About 3% go without health insurance.
| Indicator | Placer County | All of California | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 | 37.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 43.2% | 37.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 4.9% | 15.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 3.2% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.2% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 22.7% | 17.2% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 6.8% | 12.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.8% | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 26.7% |
| 15 to 29 min | 35.6% |
| 30 to 44 min | 21.6% |
| 45 to 59 min | 7.7% |
| 60+ min | 8.4% |
Before borrowing in Placer County
A few patterns in the Placer County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Consolidation math. With 57% at six figures, card consolidation is common; it pays only if total cost falls (guide).
- Rent squeeze. 58% of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent; borrow only if the loan cuts what you pay overall.
- Consolidating cards in Placer County. Compare the total repaid, not the monthly figure (how).
Before you sign
Steps that save money for Placer County residents:
- Borrow the amount the job needs; extra cash adds interest.
- Shop at least three lenders, including one Placer County-area credit union.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Keep a small cushion so one surprise bill does not mean another loan.
Checking a lender's license in California
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Placer County, check the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. More on California: California personal loans.
Related local guides
Guides that cover parts of Placer County:
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Placer County?
$115,998 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $99,122 for California. It ranks 8th of 58 in the state.
What do renters pay in Placer County?
$2,069 a month at the median, about 21% of median household income.
I live in a small Placer County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay, Auburn and 16 more.
Can Placer County residents use the questionnaire?
Yes. It asks the same questions in every California county, lists every requirement up front and does not affect your credit score.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Placer County?
Start with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.