California Homestead Exemption: How Much Is Protected
How much of your home equity a judgment creditor can't touch, and why the official number is harder to find than it should be.
California's homestead exemption protects equity in the home you live in from creditors who win a money judgment against you. Since 2021 it has been the greater of your county's median single-family sale price for the prior year (up to a cap) or a minimum. Those were set at $300,000 and $600,000 and rise with inflation each January 1. For 2026, our calculation puts them at $370,650 and $741,300.
How the amount is set
Code of Civil Procedure 704.730 says the exemption is the greater of:
- the countywide median sale price for a single-family home in the calendar year before you claim the exemption, but no more than the cap; or
- the minimum.
So in a county where homes are cheap, you get the minimum; in an expensive county, the cap. In between, it's the median itself:
| County median (prior year) | Homestead exemption, 2026 |
|---|---|
| $350,000 | $370,650 |
| $650,000 | $650,000 |
| $1,100,000 | $741,300 |
The inflation adjustment
Section 704.730(b) adjusts both numbers every January 1, starting in 2022, by the change in the annual California Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Department of Industrial Relations, rounded to the nearest $25. No court or agency publishes the adjusted figures; the Judicial Council's chart of exemption amounts (form EJ-156) doesn't include the homestead. Using DIR's annual averages, the adjusted amounts work out to:
| Year | Minimum | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $312,675 | $625,350 |
| 2023 | $335,650 | $671,300 |
| 2024 | $348,875 | $697,750 |
| 2025 | $359,550 | $719,100 |
| 2026 | $370,650 | $741,300 |
You may see slightly different numbers elsewhere, depending on the index and rounding used. If it matters in your case, the court decides.
What it protects, and what it doesn't
- Protected: equity in your dwelling, meaning the value minus mortgages and other liens ahead of the judgment, up to the exemption amount. A creditor needs a court order to sell a home to enforce a money judgment (CCP 704.740).
- Not protected: equity above the exemption. Nor does it stop a mortgage lender from foreclosing (CCP 703.010(b)), or affect property tax.
- Declared homestead: recording a homestead declaration is optional. It means a judgment lien recorded afterward doesn't attach to the home except for equity above the existing liens plus the exemption (CCP 704.950), which matters if you sell.
- Bankruptcy: you choose between California's regular exemptions, including this homestead, and an alternative set in CCP 703.140(b) whose residence exemption is only $36,750.
Run your numbers
Our Homestead Exemption Calculator takes your home value, liens and county median and shows how much equity is protected and how much isn't.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the homestead exemption in California for 2026?
The greater of your county's median single-family sale price from the prior year (capped) or a minimum. The law set the minimum at $300,000 and the cap at $600,000 in 2021 and adjusts both every January 1 for California inflation. By our calculation from the state's CPI, that's $370,650 and $741,300 for 2026.
Who can claim the homestead exemption?
A judgment debtor (or their spouse) who lives in the home as their dwelling. It covers houses, condos, mobilehomes and other dwellings, including some boats, and the land the home sits on.
Does the homestead exemption stop a creditor from forcing a sale?
It limits it. A creditor needs a court order to sell your home to collect a money judgment (CCP 704.740), and the home can't be sold unless a bid exceeds your homestead exemption plus all the liens on it (CCP 704.800). If no bid does, the home is released and the same creditor can't try again for a year.
Does the homestead exemption protect against foreclosure?
No. Exemptions don't apply when the judgment is to foreclose a mortgage, deed of trust or other lien on the property (CCP 703.010(b)). The homestead exemption protects you from other creditors with money judgments.
Is the homestead exemption the same as the homeowners' exemption?
No. The homeowners' exemption is a property tax break that takes $7,000 off a home's assessed value. The homestead exemption protects equity from creditors and has nothing to do with property tax.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Sources: Code of Civil Procedure 703.010, 703.140, 704.710, 704.730, 704.740, 704.800, 704.950; DIR California Consumer Price Index; Judicial Council form EJ-156.