Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Carolina Beach, North Carolina
A $488,000 home here costs
$3,522per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,509. The real number is $1,013 higher every month — 40% 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.
Carolina Beach against New Hanover County and North Carolina
| Measure | Carolina Beach | New Hanover County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $487,800 | $353,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,712 | $2,075 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.556% | 0.587% |
| Median gross rent | $1,544 | $1,343 |
| Population | 6,665 | 231,214 |
The weather behind that power bill
Carolina Beach sits in New Hanover County, which averages a high of 90.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.1°F in its coldest, with 65.09" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,131 cooling and 2,431 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for New Hanover County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in New Hanover County
Full New Hanover County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Carolina Beach?
A $488,000 home in Carolina Beach, North Carolina costs approximately $3,522 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,509 principal and interest, $226 property tax, $177 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $407 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Carolina Beach?
Carolina Beach has an effective property tax rate of 0.556%, based on a median home value of $487,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,712. That is lower than the New Hanover County average of 0.587%.
What is the average home price in Carolina Beach?
The median owner-occupied home value in Carolina Beach, North Carolina is $487,800, against $353,700 across New Hanover County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carolina Beach?
Median gross rent in Carolina Beach is $1,544 a month, against $3,522 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 Carolina Beach — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.