Yolo County, CA Homes for Sale & Real Estate
Yolo County sits between the Sacramento River and the Coast Range foothills, west of Sacramento and east of Napa and Lake counties. In September 2026 the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported a median price of $634,500 for existing single-family homes in the county, up 1.0% from $628,000 a year earlier, while sales fell 22.0%. The county has four cities: Davis, home of UC Davis; Woodland, the county seat; West Sacramento, across the river from downtown Sacramento; and Winters, at the edge of the hills. Outside them, the county is mostly farmland, with small communities such as Esparto, Madison, Knights Landing, Clarksburg and Dunnigan, where the county is the planning authority.
Three things shape a Yolo purchase more than most buyers expect. Davis voters must approve new housing on farmland at the city’s edge, which shapes qualifying land-use proposals. Much of Woodland, West Sacramento and the Delta depends on levees, so flood maps and insurance matter. And newer neighborhoods often pay special taxes on top of the base property tax. This guide covers prices, cities and communities, taxes, growth rules, flood and fire, water, farmland, rentals, and what sellers should prepare. Treat it as general information rather than legal or tax advice, and have a California real estate attorney or tax adviser review the details of any purchase or sale you’re planning.
Yolo County homes for sale
Use our property search and buyer services to explore available homes, or tell us which Yolo County communities you want to compare.
Yolo County market context
The dated public figures below describe the county market. A neighborhood or property comparison requires its own relevant sales.
Yolo County prices and housing figures
| Item | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Median price, existing single-family homes | $634,500 ($628,000 a year earlier) | September 2026, C.A.R. |
| Median the month before | $648,000 | August 2026, C.A.R. |
| Change in sales from a year earlier | Down 22.0% | September 2026, C.A.R. |
| Median value, owner-occupied homes | $620,700 | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage | $2,731 | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Median monthly owner costs without a mortgage | $807 | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Median gross rent | $1,857 a month | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Owner-occupied share of homes | 54.3% | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Housing units | 85,464 | July 1, 2025 estimate, Census |
| Residential building permits | 397 | 2025, Census |
| Population | 224,410 | July 1, 2025 estimate, Census |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.0 minutes | 2020–2024, Census ACS |
| Land area | 1,014.73 square miles | 2020, Census |
Two things stand out. The Census puts the owner-occupancy rate at 54.3%, so nearly half of occupied homes are rented, a reflection of UC Davis, which lists 39,414 students. That mix is relevant when comparing owner-occupied and rental housing, without establishing demand or vacancy for an individual property. And sales were down 22.0% from a year earlier, a sharper drop than in neighboring counties, while the median barely moved. C.A.R. put the average 30-year fixed rate at 6.86% for September 2026.
How Yolo compares
| County or area | Median, September 2026 (C.A.R.) | Price, year over year | Sales, year over year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yolo County | $634,500 | +1.0% | −22.0% |
| Sacramento County | $555,000 | +2.8% | −2.7% |
| Solano County | $580,000 | −4.6% | −9.1% |
| Placer County | $675,000 | +3.4% | −5.6% |
| Napa County | $918,000 | +2.0% | −16.0% |
| California | $899,720 | +1.7% | −6.5% |
By our arithmetic, Yolo’s median sat about $79,500 above Sacramento County’s and about $265,000 below the statewide figure. Buyers comparing the river’s two sides can start with our Sacramento County guide, and those looking west and south can read our Solano County guide and Napa County guide.
Yolo County cities and communities
Think of the county in four parts: the university city of Davis, the county seat of Woodland, West Sacramento on the river, and the farm towns and valleys beyond them. A Davis or Woodland mailing address does not prove a parcel is inside a city, so check the jurisdiction on the parcel record.
| Area | Jurisdiction | Setting and what to check |
|---|---|---|
| Davis | City | University city with voter-controlled edge growth; strong rental demand; register any rental with the city |
| Woodland | City; county seat | Older core and newer Spring Lake neighborhoods; check Mello-Roos and the Cache Creek floodplain |
| West Sacramento | City | Across the river from downtown Sacramento; river and bypass levees; check flood zone and any special taxes in newer areas such as Southport |
| Winters | City | Small city on Putah Creek at the foot of the hills, near Lake Berryessa; orchards and rural homes nearby |
| Esparto and Madison | Unincorporated | Farm towns at the mouth of the Capay Valley; Esparto has a county growth boundary |
| Capay Valley (Capay, Brooks, Guinda) | Unincorporated | Rural valley along Cache Creek; farms, wells, septic and fire exposure in the western hills |
| Clarksburg | Unincorporated | Sacramento River Delta farm community and wine region; levee-protected land |
| Knights Landing | Unincorporated | Small river town in the north; levees and flood zone checks |
| Dunnigan, Zamora and Yolo | Unincorporated | Interstate 5 farm communities; acreage and agricultural zoning |
| Monument Hills | Unincorporated | Rural residential area near Woodland; larger lots with wells and septic |
Davis
Davis combines established neighborhoods with a voter-controlled process for qualifying edge-of-city development. The city’s Open Space Program explains Measure J/R/D and its extension through December 31, 2030. The city’s official election page places Willowgrove’s Measure W on the November 3, 2026 ballot. As of this guide’s October 29 review, that election is still ahead; no result is reported. For a buyer, a ballot proposal is different from a completed neighborhood or a home available for occupancy.
Woodland
Woodland mixes historic homes near downtown with newer subdivisions, including Spring Lake, which pays special taxes through a community facilities district. Parts of the city lie in the Cache Creek 100-year floodplain; the city says about 1,000 properties are mapped there, where flood insurance is mandatory for federally backed loans. See the flood section below.
West Sacramento
West Sacramento faces downtown Sacramento across the river, with riverfront and newer neighborhoods such as Southport alongside older areas. It is surrounded by water, the Sacramento River on the east and the Yolo Bypass on the west, so its levees matter. The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is upgrading them toward 200-year protection. Our West Sacramento guide covers the city in more detail.
Winters and the farm towns
Winters keeps a small-town downtown and is surrounded by orchards and rural homes, with Lake Berryessa in the hills to the west. North and west, Esparto, Madison and the Capay Valley communities are farm towns along Cache Creek, and Clarksburg and Knights Landing sit on the Sacramento River. In all of them, wells, septic systems, agricultural zoning, levees in the river towns and fire exposure in the western hills set the checks.
Cities and communities in Yolo County
Taxes and closing costs in Yolo County
The county’s recording-fee schedule lists documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000, and its official declaration calculates $0.55 for each $500 or portion of the taxable amount. Woodland also has a municipal transfer-tax ordinance. Do not automatically add a second $1.10 rate from a customary-practices chart: have the closing estimate identify the actual city charge, any credit and the county amount for the transaction. Payment allocation belongs in the contract.
Who pays escrow and title fees is local custom, and in Yolo it differs by city. According to both 2026 guides, in Davis the buyer customarily pays the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy, while elsewhere in the county the seller pays both. Custom is not law, so read our guide on who pays closing costs in California and write the split into the contract. Our California transfer tax guide compares rates across counties.
Mello-Roos and other special taxes
Many newer Yolo neighborhoods pay special taxes. Woodland’s Spring Lake area, for example, is in a Mello-Roos community facilities district formed in 2004 to pay for backbone infrastructure. According to the city, the tax can rise by up to 2% a year, ends by 2050 and can be prepaid; Spring Lake homes may also pay a sports park maintenance district and a landscaping and lighting district. Other newer neighborhoods in the county may carry their own districts.
Those taxes appear on the regular property tax bill. To see what a specific home pays, look up the parcel and read the county tax bill, then ask for the district’s documents, which set out how the tax is calculated. State law requires sellers to make a good-faith effort to give buyers a notice of any Mello-Roos tax, and the natural hazard disclosure report often includes it; see our guide to the NHD report.
Property tax and loan limits
Proposition 13 sets the base tax at 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved debt, so the special taxes and bonds on a particular bill are what make two similar homes cost different amounts to own. For 2026, FHFA’s county-listed conforming loan limit of $832,750 for a one-unit home applies in Yolo County, as specifically listed for Yolo County in FHFA’s 2026 county file.
Flood risk, levees and insurance
Water defines much of Yolo County. The Yolo Bypass, a broad floodway that carries Sacramento River overflow in wet years, runs north to south between Davis and West Sacramento. West Sacramento, the Delta around Clarksburg, and river towns such as Knights Landing rely on levees.
West Sacramento’s flood agency has pursued levee improvements, including Southport, while Woodland’s Lower Cache Creek proposal has a different history. The city project page describes the proposed floodplain changes, but Yolo Elections’ official March 5, 2024 results show Woodland Measure M was rejected: 4,122 Yes and 9,752 No votes. A planning or environmental document is not proof of a completed project or a changed FEMA map. Use current parcel-level mapping and lender/insurance requirements for the purchase.
For any Yolo purchase near a river, creek or bypass, check the current FEMA flood map for the parcel, ask whether the home is in a mapped floodplain or behind a levee, get a flood insurance quote early, and read any reclamation district or levee assessment on the tax bill. Our guide to flood zones explains how to read the FEMA maps.
Wildfire and other hazards
Fire risk is concentrated in the western hills. The 2018 County Fire burned about 90,000 acres in Napa and Yolo counties east of Lake Berryessa and destroyed 29 structures, and the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex burned across five counties including Yolo. The county notes that CAL FIRE has updated its Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for local areas as well as rural ones. The rural (State Responsibility Area) map has applied since April 1, 2024, and city maps followed in early 2025, so look up the current zone; our guide to Fire Hazard Severity Zones explains how. For applicable transfers in High and Very High zones, sellers should confirm the required defensible-space documentation or compliance agreement, covered in our AB 38 defensible space guide. For homes in the Capay Valley and the hills near Winters, get insurance quotes early; our guide to the California FAIR Plan for homebuyers explains the fallback.
Water, sewer and septic
Davis and Woodland receive treated Sacramento River water through the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency, whose published urban water management plan records the start of surface-water deliveries in June 2016. Groundwater remains part of local supply planning. West Sacramento operates its own river-water treatment system. Rural properties may instead use wells and septic, so identify the actual provider, connection and permit history for the parcel.
- Well: ask for a yield test and water quality results, and the county well permit record.
- Septic: get a pump-and-inspect report and the county permit record for the tank and leach field.
- Groundwater: the Yolo Subbasin’s groundwater sustainability plan was approved by the state in October 2023; farm buyers should ask the groundwater agency how it may affect future pumping.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.
Farmland, Williamson Act land and wine
Agriculture is a major land use in Yolo, with contracts, zoning and conservation requirements that can affect a property’s options. The county’s General Plan reports that 410,659 acres, or about 67% of total county land, were under Williamson Act contracts in the General Plan’s historical baseline, which keep land in farming in exchange for a lower assessment and stay with the land after a sale. Our Williamson Act guide explains contracts, nonrenewal and cancellation.
When farmland is converted to other uses, the county’s agricultural mitigation ordinance requires permanent protection of other farmland, generally at 3 acres for each acre of prime farmland converted and 2 acres for non-prime land, with qualifying priority-area adjustments and a limited in-lieu option subject to the ordinance’s conditions. Conservation easements may separately restrict land use and remain relevant when ownership changes. Before buying land, confirm the zoning, any contract or easement, and the water source.
Five American Viticultural Areas include Yolo land: Capay Valley, Clarksburg, Dunnigan Hills, Merritt Island and Winters Highlands, which Yolo shares with Solano County. Our Yolo County vineyard and AVA guide covers each one, and our vineyard and winery property guides cover the due diligence for vineyard land.
Renting out a Yolo County home
With nearly half of homes rented, many Yolo buyers are landlords or plan to be. Long-term rentals fall under state law: under the Tenant Protection Act, Yolo is in the Attorney General’s “all other counties” row, where the cap is 8.6% for rent increases that start between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027, for covered units. See our guide to AB 1482 for landlords. We are not aware of local rent control in Yolo’s cities, but check before you buy.
Davis adds its own rules. Every rental must be registered with the city, owners living more than 50 miles away must designate an authorized non-tenant local contact or manager within 50 miles, single-family rentals are subject to random inspections, and landlords must use a move-in inspection checklist and give tenants renters’ rights information. For short-term rentals, Woodland allows them in five zones with a zoning administrator permit and a business license, only for owners who have held the property at least two years, with transient occupancy tax due. Confirm current short-term rental rules with Davis, West Sacramento or the county before relying on that income.
Selling a home in Yolo County
Yolo buyers range from UC Davis faculty and staff to first-time buyers priced out of the Bay Area and investors buying student rentals, so a seller’s file should answer each group’s questions:
- Total cost of ownership: the current tax bill with each special tax and assessment line, HOA dues and any bond payoff.
- Flood: the FEMA zone, any flood insurance policy and its premium, and any history of water intrusion.
- Rental history: leases, rent rolls, Davis registration and inspection records, and tenant notices if the home is rented.
- Rural items: well and septic reports, water rights and any Williamson Act contract or easement for acreage.
- Pricing: comparable sales from the same city and neighborhood and the same era of construction; a Yolo County home valuation is a good place to start.
Discuss pricing, preparation and the appropriate marketing approach with Diamond. Any private marketing plan must follow the seller’s written instructions and applicable brokerage and MLS requirements.
Cities and communities in Yolo County
Explore the local guides by city, town or community. City-area groups may include nearby unincorporated areas; each guide explains its geographic scope.
Yolo County home valuation · Yolo County wine regions · Vineyards and wineries
Questions people ask
What is the median home price in Yolo County?
C.A.R. reported $634,500 for existing single-family homes in September 2026, up 1.0% from $628,000 a year earlier, after an August median of $648,000. Sales were down 22.0% on the year. Price a specific home from comparable sales nearby, not the county median.
Which cities are in Yolo County?
Four: Davis, Woodland (the county seat), West Sacramento and Winters. Esparto, Madison, the Capay Valley, Clarksburg, Knights Landing, Dunnigan, Zamora, Yolo and Monument Hills are unincorporated, so the county handles planning and permits there.
Does Yolo County have a city transfer tax?
Yolo County publishes a $1.10-per-$1,000 documentary transfer tax and an official calculation of $0.55 per $500 or portion. Woodland also has a municipal transfer-tax ordinance. Have escrow identify the actual city and county amounts, credits and exemptions for the specific transfer rather than assuming a title-guide city rate is simply additional.
Who pays escrow and title fees in Yolo County?
By local custom in the 2026 title guides, the buyer pays the escrow fee and owner’s title policy in Davis, and the seller pays both elsewhere in Yolo County. Custom is not law, so the purchase contract should say who pays.
What is Measure J/R/D in Davis?
It is the city’s voter-approval framework for qualifying changes from agricultural or open-space designations to urban uses. Measure D extended the framework through December 31, 2030. The separate Willowgrove Measure W election is scheduled for November 3, 2026; no outcome is reported as of October 29.
What is Mello-Roos in Woodland?
It is a special tax from a community facilities district, collected on the property tax bill. Woodland’s Spring Lake district was formed in 2004 for infrastructure; the city says its tax can rise up to 2% a year and ends by 2050. Check the specific parcel’s tax bill and district documents.
Do I need flood insurance in Woodland?
Check the current FEMA zone, mortgage type and lender requirements for the actual address. A proposed Lower Cache Creek project does not establish that a property has been removed from the floodplain. Woodland’s March 2024 Measure M was rejected; obtain a current insurance quote rather than budgeting from an old citywide estimate.
Is West Sacramento protected by levees?
Yes. The city sits between the Sacramento River and the Yolo Bypass, and the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is upgrading its levees toward 200-year protection. Check the current FEMA map and any levee assessments for the parcel.
Do I have to register a rental in Davis?
Davis requires covered rentals to be registered, with an exemption procedure. Owners living more than 50 miles away must provide an authorized non-tenant local contact or property manager within 50 miles. The city also describes random inspections for single-family rentals and move-in and tenant-information requirements.
Can I run a short-term rental in Woodland?
Possibly. Woodland allows short-term rentals in five zones with a zoning administrator permit and business license, only for owners who have held the property for two years or more, and transient occupancy tax applies.
Is Yolo County in a high fire hazard zone?
Check the current state maps for the parcel. Fire risk is concentrated in the western hills around the Capay Valley, Winters and Lake Berryessa, which burned in the 2018 County Fire and the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex.
What is the conforming loan limit in Yolo County?
For 2026, FHFA’s baseline limit of $832,750 for a one-unit home applies in Yolo County. Limits for two- to four-unit properties are higher.
Does Yolo County have rent control?
For units covered by the state Tenant Protection Act, the Attorney General’s “All Other Counties” chart lists an 8.6% maximum for increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. Check coverage, exemptions and any local or mobilehome protections for the actual tenancy rather than applying that number to every rental.
Diamond serves Yolo County alongside Sacramento, Placer and Solano counties and the Bay Area, so we can help a Bay Area buyer compare a move inland, a parent buy near UC Davis, or a Yolo owner sell and buy elsewhere. Tell us what you’re looking for on our buyer services page, and we’ll set up a search and pull the tax, flood and rental records for the homes you like.
Sources & notes
- C.A.R. September 2026 county sales and price report
- U.S. Census QuickFacts Yolo County
- UC Davis About / university at a glance
- FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits, all counties
- Davis November 3, 2026 general municipal election
- Davis Open Space Program / Measure J/R/D
- Yolo Elections official Woodland Measure M results, March5,2024
- Yolo Clerk-Recorder recording fees
- Yolo official documentary transfer tax declaration
- Woodland Municipal Code Chapter3.16 real property transfer tax
- Woodland Spring Lake fees/assessments FAQ, September13,2021
- Davis rental resources: landlords/property managers
- Woodland short-term rentals
- Yolo County Code8-2.404 Agricultural Conservation/Mitigation
- Yolo County adopted Housing Element2021–26
- State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- Chicago Title June2026 customary practices guide
- USACE Southport Sacramento River project documents
- Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency2020UWMP,updated2022
- Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency fee study
- Yolo2030GeneralPlan agriculture element
- FEMA NFIP flood insurance eligibility/requirements
Davis ballot timing is sourced to the city’s official election page; no November 2026 result is available at this review date. The Lower Cache Creek discussion incorporates the official 2024 Measure M result rather than treating a proposal as completed protection. FHFA’s county file, the county transfer-tax form and city rental pages support the specific distinctions above.
Sources checked October 29, 2026. Market figures retain their stated observation periods; no individual property or permit file was inspected for this guide.
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