Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clearwater, Florida
A $326,000 home here costs
$2,548per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,676. The real number is $872 higher every month — 52% 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.
Clearwater against Pinellas County and Florida
| Measure | Clearwater | Pinellas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $326,100 | $319,000 |
| Median property tax | $2,386 | $2,324 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.732% | 0.729% |
| Median gross rent | $1,539 | $1,525 |
| Population | 117,075 | 960,565 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clearwater sits in Pinellas County, which averages a high of 90.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 52.5°F in its coldest, with 53.62" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,701 cooling and 447 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pinellas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pinellas County
Full Pinellas County cost breakdown · Every county in Florida
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clearwater?
A $326,000 home in Clearwater, Florida costs approximately $2,548 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,676 principal and interest, $199 property tax, $197 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $272 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clearwater?
Clearwater has an effective property tax rate of 0.732%, based on a median home value of $326,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,386. That is in line with the Pinellas County average of 0.729%.
What is the average home price in Clearwater?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clearwater, Florida is $326,100, against $319,000 across Pinellas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clearwater?
Median gross rent in Clearwater is $1,539 a month, against $2,548 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 Clearwater — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- 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.