Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Auburn, Washington
A $510,000 home here costs
$3,758per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,622. The real number is $1,136 higher every month — 43% 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.
Auburn against King County and Washington
| Measure | Auburn | King County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $510,400 | $811,200 |
| Median property tax | $5,194 | $6,785 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.018% | 0.836% |
| Median gross rent | $1,713 | $2,035 |
| Population | 85,455 | 2,262,713 |
Auburn extends across 2 counties. Figures here use King County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Auburn sits in King County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.3°F in its coldest, with 63.28" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 151 cooling and 4,991 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for King County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in King County
Full King County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Auburn?
A $510,000 home in Auburn, Washington costs approximately $3,758 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,622 principal and interest, $433 property tax, $76 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $425 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Auburn?
Auburn has an effective property tax rate of 1.018%, based on a median home value of $510,400 and median real estate taxes of $5,194. That is higher than the King County average of 0.836%.
What is the average home price in Auburn?
The median owner-occupied home value in Auburn, Washington is $510,400, against $811,200 across King County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Auburn?
Median gross rent in Auburn is $1,713 a month, against $3,758 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 Auburn — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.