Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Essex, Massachusetts
A $774,000 home here costs
$5,984per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,979. The real number is $2,005 higher every month — 50% 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.
Essex against Essex County and Massachusetts
| Measure | Essex | Essex County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $774,400 | $584,000 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $6,267 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.291% | 1.073% |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | $1,673 |
| Population | 1,775 | 807,258 |
The weather behind that power bill
Essex sits in Essex County, which averages a high of 81.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.7°F in its coldest, with 44.89" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 611 cooling and 6,103 heating degree days, which is what sets the $259 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Essex County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Essex County
Full Essex County cost breakdown · Every county in Massachusetts
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Essex?
A $774,000 home in Essex, Massachusetts costs approximately $5,984 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,979 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $200 homeowners insurance, $327 utilities and $645 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Essex?
Essex has an effective property tax rate of 1.291%, based on a median home value of $774,400 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is higher than the Essex County average of 1.073%.
What is the average home price in Essex?
The median owner-occupied home value in Essex, Massachusetts is $774,400, against $584,000 across Essex County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Essex?
Median gross rent in Essex is $1,750 a month, against $5,984 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 Essex — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Massachusetts.
- 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.