Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Big Pine, California
A $281,000 home here costs
$2,295per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,445. The real number is $850 higher every month — 59% 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.
Big Pine against Inyo County and California
| Measure | Big Pine | Inyo County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $281,300 | $338,400 |
| Median property tax | $2,474 | $2,392 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.879% | 0.707% |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 | $1,140 |
| Population | 1,464 | 18,803 |
The weather behind that power bill
Big Pine sits in Inyo County, which averages a high of 114.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.0°F in its coldest, with 1.95" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 5,533 cooling and 1,119 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Inyo County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Inyo County
Full Inyo County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Big Pine?
A $281,000 home in Big Pine, California costs approximately $2,295 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,445 principal and interest, $206 property tax, $44 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $234 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Big Pine?
Big Pine has an effective property tax rate of 0.879%, based on a median home value of $281,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,474. That is higher than the Inyo County average of 0.707%.
What is the average home price in Big Pine?
The median owner-occupied home value in Big Pine, California is $281,300, against $338,400 across Inyo County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Big Pine?
Median gross rent in Big Pine is $1,000 a month, against $2,295 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 Big Pine — 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.