Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Buford, Georgia
A $346,000 home here costs
$2,632per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,779. The real number is $853 higher every month — 48% 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.
Buford against Gwinnett County and Georgia
| Measure | Buford | Gwinnett County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $346,400 | $345,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,452 | $3,381 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.708% | 0.978% |
| Median gross rent | $1,256 | $1,713 |
| Population | 17,611 | 966,972 |
Buford extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Gwinnett County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Buford sits in Gwinnett County, which averages a high of 89.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.7°F in its coldest, with 51.43" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,728 cooling and 2,980 heating degree days, which is what sets the $142 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Gwinnett County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Gwinnett County
Full Gwinnett County cost breakdown · Every county in Georgia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Buford?
A $346,000 home in Buford, Georgia costs approximately $2,632 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,779 principal and interest, $204 property tax, $150 homeowners insurance, $210 utilities and $288 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Buford?
Buford has an effective property tax rate of 0.708%, based on a median home value of $346,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,452. That is lower than the Gwinnett County average of 0.978%.
What is the average home price in Buford?
The median owner-occupied home value in Buford, Georgia is $346,400, against $345,700 across Gwinnett County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Buford?
Median gross rent in Buford is $1,256 a month, against $2,632 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 Buford — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Georgia.
- 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.