Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Cayuga Heights, New York
A $524,000 home here costs
$4,474per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.24% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $192,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,857. The real number is $1,618 higher every month, 57% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Tompkins County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Small-place caveat: the Census publishes these figures for Cayuga Heights from a five-year rolling sample, and with about 4,018 residents that sample is small. The median home value here carries a much wider margin of error than a big-city figure does, so treat it as indicative rather than exact. The Tompkins County figures are drawn from a far larger sample if you want a steadier number.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Cayuga Heights against Tompkins County and New York
| Measure | Cayuga Heights | Tompkins County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $523,600 | $271,500 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $6,374 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.910% | 2.348% |
| Median gross rent | $1,347 | $1,374 |
| Population | 4,018 | 102,879 |
The weather behind that power bill
Cayuga Heights sits in Tompkins County, which averages a high of 79.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 14.6°F in its coldest, with 38.29" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 416 cooling and 7,207 heating degree days, which is what sets the $164 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tompkins County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tompkins County
Full Tompkins County cost breakdown · Every county in New York
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Cayuga Heights averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Cayuga Heights every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Cayuga Heights I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Cayuga Heights?
A $524,000 home in Cayuga Heights, New York costs approximately $4,474 per month with 20% down at 7.24%. That is $2,857 principal and interest, $834 property tax, $115 homeowners insurance, $232 utilities and $437 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Cayuga Heights?
Cayuga Heights has an effective property tax rate of 1.910%, based on a median home value of $523,600 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the Tompkins County average of 2.348%.
What is the average home price in Cayuga Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Cayuga Heights, New York is $523,600, against $271,500 across Tompkins County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cayuga Heights?
Median gross rent in Cayuga Heights is $1,347 a month, against $4,474 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Cayuga Heights?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Cayuga Heights, New York at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $192,000 a year. That covers the full $4,474 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Cayuga Heights, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for New York.
- 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.