Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bell Gardens, California
A $528,000 home here costs
$3,930per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,714. The real number is $1,216 higher every month — 45% 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.
Bell Gardens against Los Angeles County and California
| Measure | Bell Gardens | Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $527,900 | $783,300 |
| Median property tax | $3,921 | $5,438 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.743% | 0.694% |
| Median gross rent | $1,658 | $1,893 |
| Population | 38,661 | 9,848,406 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bell Gardens sits in Los Angeles County, which averages a high of 88.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 44.2°F in its coldest, with 13.91" of precipitation a year and 67% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,481 cooling and 1,400 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Los Angeles County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Los Angeles County
Full Los Angeles County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bell Gardens?
A $528,000 home in Bell Gardens, California costs approximately $3,930 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,714 principal and interest, $327 property tax, $82 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $440 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bell Gardens?
Bell Gardens has an effective property tax rate of 0.743%, based on a median home value of $527,900 and median real estate taxes of $3,921. That is higher than the Los Angeles County average of 0.694%.
What is the average home price in Bell Gardens?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bell Gardens, California is $527,900, against $783,300 across Los Angeles County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bell Gardens?
Median gross rent in Bell Gardens is $1,658 a month, against $3,930 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 Bell Gardens — 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.