Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Carefree, Arizona
A $1,067,000 home here costs
$7,049per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $5,485. The real number is $1,564 higher every month — 29% 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.
Carefree against Maricopa County and Arizona
| Measure | Carefree | Maricopa County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,066,600 | $414,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,940 | $1,965 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.276% | 0.474% |
| Median gross rent | $1,685 | $1,587 |
| Population | 3,672 | 4,491,987 |
The weather behind that power bill
Carefree sits in Maricopa County, which averages a high of 106.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.0°F in its coldest, with 8.18" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,202 cooling and 1,140 heating degree days, which is what sets the $137 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Maricopa County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Maricopa County
Full Maricopa County cost breakdown · Every county in Arizona
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Carefree?
A $1,067,000 home in Carefree, Arizona costs approximately $7,049 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $5,485 principal and interest, $245 property tax, $224 homeowners insurance, $205 utilities and $889 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Carefree?
Carefree has an effective property tax rate of 0.276%, based on a median home value of $1,066,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,940. That is lower than the Maricopa County average of 0.474%.
What is the average home price in Carefree?
The median owner-occupied home value in Carefree, Arizona is $1,066,600, against $414,700 across Maricopa County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carefree?
Median gross rent in Carefree is $1,685 a month, against $7,049 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 Carefree — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Arizona.
- 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.