Only 15% of California Households Can Afford a Home as Crisis Deepens for Inglewood, Compton Residents

California’s housing affordability crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with new data showing only 15 percent of households statewide can afford to purchase a home in 2025, compared to 34 percent nationwide, leaving Inglewood and Compton residents facing increasingly insurmountable barriers to homeownership.

The median-priced home in California now costs $905,680, requiring a minimum annual income of $237,000 to qualify for a mortgage—more than 2.5 times the state’s median household income of $96,500.

Prospective homebuyers must be prepared for monthly payments of $5,810, including principal, interest, taxes and insurance on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.90 percent interest.

While Inglewood’s median home price of $749,000 to $780,000 sits below the Los Angeles County average of $930,720, local residents still face severe affordability constraints. A household would need to earn approximately $192,000 annually to afford an Inglewood home at current prices.

The crisis extends beyond homeownership. Twenty-seven percent of California renters—1.6 million households—spend more than half their income on rent. The median monthly rent in California reached $2,770 in 2025.

From January 2020 to June 2025, monthly payments for a mid-tier home increased 82 percent, while average hourly wages grew just 23 percent.

California’s housing shortage remains at an estimated 3 million units. Housing advocates emphasize that solutions must include both increased supply and protections for existing residents, including rent control measures and subsidized affordable housing development.