Cost to Own
United StatesNew YorkTompkins CountyCayuga Heights Population 4,018 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Cayuga Heights, New York

A $524,000 home here costs

$4,417

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,694. The real number is $1,723 higher every month — 64% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Cayuga Heights median: $523,600
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $419,200 borrowed $2,694
Property tax1.910% effective rate for Cayuga Heights itself $834
Homeowners insuranceNew York averages $1,455/yr (NAIC), or 0.264% of home value $115
Electricity29.93¢/kWh — New York residential average, EIA $269
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $437
Total monthly $4,417

Cayuga Heights against Tompkins County and New York

MeasureCayuga HeightsTompkins County
Median home value$523,600$271,500
Median property tax$10,001$6,374
Effective tax rate1.910%2.348%
Median gross rent$1,347$1,374
Population4,018102,879

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 $269 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

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 $4,417 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,694 principal and interest, $834 property tax, $115 homeowners insurance, $337 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 $4,417 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 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.

Full methodology