Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Alturas, Florida
A $165,000 home here costs
$1,375per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $848. The real number is $527 higher every month — 62% 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 Polk County and Florida
| Measure | Alturas | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,500 | $240,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,019 | $1,769 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.619% | 0.737% |
| Median gross rent | $941 | $1,272 |
| Population | 3,866 | 760,961 |
The weather behind that power bill
Alturas sits in Polk County, which averages a high of 92.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 51.9°F in its coldest, with 46.12" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,929 cooling and 421 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Polk County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Polk County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Alturas?
A $165,000 home in Alturas, Florida costs approximately $1,375 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $848 principal and interest, $85 property tax, $100 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $138 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Alturas?
Alturas has an effective property tax rate of 0.619%, based on a median home value of $164,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,019. That is lower than the Polk County average of 0.737%.
What is the average home price in Alturas?
The median owner-occupied home value in Alturas, Florida is $164,500, against $240,000 across Polk County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Alturas?
Median gross rent in Alturas is $941 a month, against $1,375 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 Florida.
- 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.