Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Arcata, California
A $467,000 home here costs
$3,457per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,401. The real number is $1,056 higher every month — 44% 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.
Arcata against Humboldt County and California
| Measure | Arcata | Humboldt County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $466,600 | $418,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,723 | $2,731 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.584% | 0.652% |
| Median gross rent | $1,287 | $1,249 |
| Population | 18,578 | 135,418 |
The weather behind that power bill
Arcata sits in Humboldt County, which averages a high of 64.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.0°F in its coldest, with 40.4" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2 cooling and 4,506 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Humboldt County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Humboldt County
Full Humboldt County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Arcata?
A $467,000 home in Arcata, California costs approximately $3,457 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,401 principal and interest, $227 property tax, $72 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $389 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Arcata?
Arcata has an effective property tax rate of 0.584%, based on a median home value of $466,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,723. That is lower than the Humboldt County average of 0.652%.
What is the average home price in Arcata?
The median owner-occupied home value in Arcata, California is $466,600, against $418,800 across Humboldt County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Arcata?
Median gross rent in Arcata is $1,287 a month, against $3,457 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 Arcata — 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.