Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Boulder Creek, California
A $785,000 home here costs
$5,544per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,036. The real number is $1,508 higher every month — 37% 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.
Boulder Creek against Santa Cruz County and California
| Measure | Boulder Creek | Santa Cruz County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $785,200 | $1,015,200 |
| Median property tax | $4,393 | $6,305 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.559% | 0.621% |
| Median gross rent | $1,844 | $2,172 |
| Population | 5,353 | 266,021 |
The weather behind that power bill
Boulder Creek sits in Santa Cruz County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.9°F in its coldest, with 30.63" of precipitation a year and 60% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 180 cooling and 2,487 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Santa Cruz County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Santa Cruz County
Full Santa Cruz County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Boulder Creek?
A $785,000 home in Boulder Creek, California costs approximately $5,544 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,036 principal and interest, $366 property tax, $122 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $654 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Boulder Creek?
Boulder Creek has an effective property tax rate of 0.559%, based on a median home value of $785,200 and median real estate taxes of $4,393. That is lower than the Santa Cruz County average of 0.621%.
What is the average home price in Boulder Creek?
The median owner-occupied home value in Boulder Creek, California is $785,200, against $1,015,200 across Santa Cruz County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Boulder Creek?
Median gross rent in Boulder Creek is $1,844 a month, against $5,544 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 Boulder Creek — 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.