Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Calera, Alabama
A $214,000 home here costs
$1,724per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,100. The real number is $623 higher every month — 57% 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.
Calera against Shelby County and Alabama
| Measure | Calera | Shelby County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $214,200 | $298,700 |
| Median property tax | $964 | $1,343 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.450% | 0.450% |
| Median gross rent | $1,505 | $1,348 |
| Population | 17,188 | 226,955 |
Calera extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Shelby County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Calera sits in Shelby County, which averages a high of 91.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.6°F in its coldest, with 56.19" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,181 cooling and 2,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Shelby County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Shelby County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Calera?
A $214,000 home in Calera, Alabama costs approximately $1,724 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,100 principal and interest, $80 property tax, $146 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Calera?
Calera has an effective property tax rate of 0.450%, based on a median home value of $214,200 and median real estate taxes of $964. That is in line with the Shelby County average of 0.450%.
What is the average home price in Calera?
The median owner-occupied home value in Calera, Alabama is $214,200, against $298,700 across Shelby County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Calera?
Median gross rent in Calera is $1,505 a month, against $1,724 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 Calera — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- 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.