Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania
A $182,000 home here costs
$1,742per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $936. The real number is $806 higher every month — 86% 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 Hills against Allegheny County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Forest Hills | Allegheny County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $182,200 | $216,700 |
| Median property tax | $3,988 | $3,399 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.189% | 1.569% |
| Median gross rent | $970 | $1,111 |
| Population | 6,332 | 1,240,476 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Hills sits in Allegheny County, which averages a high of 83.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 22.3°F in its coldest, with 41.34" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 826 cooling and 5,407 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Allegheny County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Allegheny County
Full Allegheny County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Hills?
A $182,000 home in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,742 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $936 principal and interest, $332 property tax, $61 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $152 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Hills?
Forest Hills has an effective property tax rate of 2.189%, based on a median home value of $182,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,988. That is higher than the Allegheny County average of 1.569%.
What is the average home price in Forest Hills?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania is $182,200, against $216,700 across Allegheny County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Hills?
Median gross rent in Forest Hills is $970 a month, against $1,742 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 Hills — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.