Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Cape Charles, Virginia
A $589,000 home here costs
$4,203per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,028. The real number is $1,175 higher every month — 39% 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.
Cape Charles against Northampton County and Virginia
| Measure | Cape Charles | Northampton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $589,000 | $279,100 |
| Median property tax | $3,760 | $1,689 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.638% | 0.605% |
| Median gross rent | $840 | $780 |
| Population | 1,278 | 12,115 |
The weather behind that power bill
Cape Charles sits in Northampton County, which averages a high of 85.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.1°F in its coldest, with 44.45" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,374 cooling and 3,706 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Northampton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Northampton County
Full Northampton County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Cape Charles?
A $589,000 home in Cape Charles, Virginia costs approximately $4,203 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,028 principal and interest, $313 property tax, $145 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $491 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Cape Charles?
Cape Charles has an effective property tax rate of 0.638%, based on a median home value of $589,000 and median real estate taxes of $3,760. That is higher than the Northampton County average of 0.605%.
What is the average home price in Cape Charles?
The median owner-occupied home value in Cape Charles, Virginia is $589,000, against $279,100 across Northampton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cape Charles?
Median gross rent in Cape Charles is $840 a month, against $4,203 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 Cape Charles — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- 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.