Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dale City, Virginia
A $400,000 home here costs
$3,061per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,056. The real number is $1,004 higher every month — 49% 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.
Dale City against Prince William County and Virginia
| Measure | Dale City | Prince William County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $400,100 | $500,600 |
| Median property tax | $4,159 | $4,910 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.039% | 0.981% |
| Median gross rent | $1,868 | $2,002 |
| Population | 72,793 | 484,625 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dale City sits in Prince William County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 41.03" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,512 cooling and 4,002 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Prince William County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Prince William County
Full Prince William County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dale City?
A $400,000 home in Dale City, Virginia costs approximately $3,061 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,056 principal and interest, $346 property tax, $98 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $333 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dale City?
Dale City has an effective property tax rate of 1.039%, based on a median home value of $400,100 and median real estate taxes of $4,159. That is higher than the Prince William County average of 0.981%.
What is the average home price in Dale City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dale City, Virginia is $400,100, against $500,600 across Prince William County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dale City?
Median gross rent in Dale City is $1,868 a month, against $3,061 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 Dale City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- 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.