Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Alturas, California
A $153,000 home here costs
$1,403per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $787. The real number is $616 higher every month — 78% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Alturas against Modoc County and California
| Measure | Alturas | Modoc County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $152,600 | $212,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,175 | $1,445 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.770% | 0.682% |
| Median gross rent | $781 | $818 |
| Population | 2,703 | 8,646 |
The weather behind that power bill
Alturas sits in Modoc County, which averages a high of 89.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.0°F in its coldest, with 11.68" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 235 cooling and 6,558 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Modoc County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Modoc County
No other places of this size are published in Modoc County.
Full Modoc County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Alturas?
A $153,000 home in Alturas, California costs approximately $1,403 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $787 principal and interest, $98 property tax, $24 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $128 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Alturas?
Alturas has an effective property tax rate of 0.770%, based on a median home value of $152,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,175. That is higher than the Modoc County average of 0.682%.
What is the average home price in Alturas?
The median owner-occupied home value in Alturas, California is $152,600, against $212,000 across Modoc County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Alturas?
Median gross rent in Alturas is $781 a month, against $1,403 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Alturas — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.