Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Heights, Maryland
A $347,000 home here costs
$2,790per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,784. The real number is $1,006 higher every month — 56% 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.
Forest Heights against Prince George's County and Maryland
| Measure | Forest Heights | Prince George's County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $346,800 | $404,300 |
| Median property tax | $4,393 | $4,662 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.267% | 1.153% |
| Median gross rent | $2,154 | $1,761 |
| Population | 2,619 | 955,584 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Heights sits in Prince George's County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.7°F in its coldest, with 45.01" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,284 cooling and 4,546 heating degree days, which is what sets the $196 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Prince George's County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Prince George's County
Full Prince George's County cost breakdown · Every county in Maryland
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Heights?
A $347,000 home in Forest Heights, Maryland costs approximately $2,790 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,784 principal and interest, $366 property tax, $87 homeowners insurance, $264 utilities and $289 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Heights?
Forest Heights has an effective property tax rate of 1.267%, based on a median home value of $346,800 and median real estate taxes of $4,393. That is higher than the Prince George's County average of 1.153%.
What is the average home price in Forest Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Heights, Maryland is $346,800, against $404,300 across Prince George's County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Heights?
Median gross rent in Forest Heights is $2,154 a month, against $2,790 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 Forest Heights — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Maryland.
- 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.