Artazum // Shutterstock

Homeownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many California residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in California, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Elk Grove, California
– Payment to income ratio: 40.9%
– Median sale price: $652,686
– Median household income: $122,229
– Income needed to buy: $166,672
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,167
– See homes for sale in Elk Grove on Redfin.com

#2. Roseville, California
– Payment to income ratio: 41.8%
– Median sale price: $639,738
– Median household income: $117,354
– Income needed to buy: $163,365
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,084
– See homes for sale in Roseville on Redfin.com

#3. Folsom, California
– Payment to income ratio: 43.2%
– Median sale price: $785,749
– Median household income: $139,263
– Income needed to buy: $200,651
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,016
– See homes for sale in Folsom on Redfin.com

#4. Tracy, California
– Payment to income ratio: 43.4%
– Median sale price: $669,832
– Median household income: $118,253
– Income needed to buy: $171,050
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,276
– See homes for sale in Tracy on Redfin.com

#5. Brentwood, California
– Payment to income ratio: 43.9%
– Median sale price: $800,505
– Median household income: $139,567
– Income needed to buy: $204,419
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,110
– See homes for sale in Brentwood on Read more

* WHAT…Northeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph
expected.

* WHERE…Interstate 5 Corridor, Santa Susana Mountains, Western San
Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor, and Western Santa
Monica Mountains Recreational Area.

* WHEN…Until 3 PM PST this afternoon.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree
limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

The post Wind Advisory issued December 30 at 4:29AM PST until December 30 at 3:00PM PST by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

* WHAT…North to northeast winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to
50 mph.

* WHERE…A portion of southwest California.

* WHEN…Until 3 PM PST this afternoon.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree
limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

The post Wind Advisory issued December 30 at 4:29AM PST until December 30 at 3:00PM PST by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN

(CNN) — The bigger the orchard, the more the bad apples.

Close to five billion people were estimated to have traveled by air in 2025 — a record-breaking number — and plenty more tourists were also gadding about by boat, train or road. While most enjoyed their vacations without incident and pumped plenty of dollars into local economies, not all of those travelers were on their best behavior.

Here’s CNN Travel’s list of resolutions for us all to be better global citizens in 2026, with examples of some of the biggest failings this year. Let’s hope some of it sticks this time.

1. I’ll respect local culture and I certainly won’t lie about my nationality or go bothering remote island communities

The biggest problem many locals had with international visitors this year was with them being there at all, particularly in cities struggling with the pressures of overtourism. This was an issue that affected nearly all continents.

In Europe, protesters against mass tourism took to the streets in Spain and Italy, with water pistols the weapon of choice for angry locals in Barcelona. In Asia, the Indonesian island of Bali, the Japanese city of Kyoto and the Thai island of Phuket were hotspots where the quality of life for residents was threatened by overcrowded streets and bad behavior by visitors.

In South America, protests over transportation concessions led to thousands of travelers being stranded around Machu Picchu. In Nigeria, economic pressures and greedy cash-ins were threatening the good times at Detty December, the annual party that sees an influx of visitors from the diaspora.

Americans traveling abroad were under increased scrutiny this year, with “Did you vote for Trump?” becoming a common question from confrontational locals. Some Americans even took to “flag-jacking” (lying about their nationality by pretending to be Canadian) much to the chagrin of actual citizens of the Land of Maple.

Even the Sentinelese islanders, the “world’s most-isolated” indigenous people, weren’t safe from visitors this year. A 24-year-old American was arrested in April after making the illegal voyage to their home, 750 miles from the Indian mainland, in an attempt to contact them.

2. I won’t try to turn every experience into social media content

Several unwise TikTok trends generated headlines this year, as people prioritized social media clout above, say, catching their flight or avoiding injury.

The “airport theory” trend had people trying to get through the terminal from car park to gate in just 15 minutes. A dancing Canadian inspired copycat twirlers in airports around the world, and a dangerous TikTok “travel hack” encouraged passengers to secure their seatbelt around their ankles while sleeping mid-flight.

A trend for recording in-flight “get ready with me” Read more

Lingering Santa Ana winds prevail through Ventura Tuesday. A Wind Advisory in in place through 3pm, however these winds will be significantly lighter than the prior day. Expect gusts near 50mph and prevailing winds around 20-30. Cloud coverage increases ahead of the next storm. Expect some scattered and every small showers to pop up Tuesday morning but the bulk of the rain to arrive New Years Eve. Highs rise into the 60s and low 70s.

Winds switch direction and rain arrives early New Years Eve morning. Expect a southerly flow to help aid in moisture transport, meaning south facing beaches and high terrain areas will get the brunt of the storm. Rainfall amounts appear to be within 1-3 inches by the beaches and up to 5 inches over mountainous terrain. Winds will be strong at times and with susceptible soil, more trees and branches could overturn or snap. Heaviest rain expected New Year's Eve night, right around the time you may be headed out. Be aware and travel additionally safe. Roadways will be slick and some light pooling may appear along small roadways.

More on and off showers begin the first day of 2026. Thunderstorms appear ion high terrain while light rain occurs near the beaches. The next rain system approaches into the weekend. This time coming from the north. More information to come.

The post Moderate storm to arrive New Year’s Eve appeared first on News Channel 3-12.