Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Brookdale, California
A $811,000 home here costs
$5,941per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,169. The real number is $1,772 higher every month — 42% 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.
Brookdale against Santa Cruz County and California
| Measure | Brookdale | Santa Cruz County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $810,500 | $1,015,200 |
| Median property tax | $7,239 | $6,305 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.893% | 0.621% |
| Median gross rent | $1,201 | $2,172 |
| Population | 1,308 | 266,021 |
The weather behind that power bill
Brookdale 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 Brookdale?
A $811,000 home in Brookdale, California costs approximately $5,941 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,169 principal and interest, $604 property tax, $126 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $676 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Brookdale?
Brookdale has an effective property tax rate of 0.893%, based on a median home value of $810,500 and median real estate taxes of $7,239. That is higher than the Santa Cruz County average of 0.621%.
What is the average home price in Brookdale?
The median owner-occupied home value in Brookdale, California is $810,500, against $1,015,200 across Santa Cruz County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Brookdale?
Median gross rent in Brookdale is $1,201 a month, against $5,941 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 Brookdale — 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.