Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Brentwood, California
A $792,000 home here costs
$5,879per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,072. The real number is $1,808 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.
Brentwood against Contra Costa County and California
| Measure | Brentwood | Contra Costa County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $791,600 | $830,800 |
| Median property tax | $7,891 | $6,903 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.997% | 0.831% |
| Median gross rent | $2,509 | $2,322 |
| Population | 64,609 | 1,161,458 |
The weather behind that power bill
Brentwood sits in Contra Costa County, which averages a high of 82.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.3°F in its coldest, with 26.05" of precipitation a year and 58% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 926 cooling and 3,309 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Contra Costa County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Contra Costa County
Full Contra Costa County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Brentwood?
A $792,000 home in Brentwood, California costs approximately $5,879 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,072 principal and interest, $658 property tax, $123 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $660 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Brentwood?
Brentwood has an effective property tax rate of 0.997%, based on a median home value of $791,600 and median real estate taxes of $7,891. That is higher than the Contra Costa County average of 0.831%.
What is the average home price in Brentwood?
The median owner-occupied home value in Brentwood, California is $791,600, against $830,800 across Contra Costa County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Brentwood?
Median gross rent in Brentwood is $2,509 a month, against $5,879 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 Brentwood — 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.