Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chowchilla, California
A $332,000 home here costs
$2,636per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,707. The real number is $929 higher every month — 54% 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.
Chowchilla against Madera County and California
| Measure | Chowchilla | Madera County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $331,500 | $367,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,802 | $2,575 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.845% | 0.700% |
| Median gross rent | $1,204 | $1,307 |
| Population | 18,876 | 158,790 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chowchilla sits in Madera County, which averages a high of 97.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.6°F in its coldest, with 10.79" of precipitation a year and 56% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,749 cooling and 2,356 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Madera County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Madera County
Full Madera County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chowchilla?
A $332,000 home in Chowchilla, California costs approximately $2,636 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,707 principal and interest, $234 property tax, $51 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $277 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chowchilla?
Chowchilla has an effective property tax rate of 0.845%, based on a median home value of $331,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,802. That is higher than the Madera County average of 0.700%.
What is the average home price in Chowchilla?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chowchilla, California is $331,500, against $367,700 across Madera County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chowchilla?
Median gross rent in Chowchilla is $1,204 a month, against $2,636 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 Chowchilla — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- 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.