Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Meadows, California
A $484,000 home here costs
$3,678per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,488. The real number is $1,190 higher every month — 48% 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 Meadows against Calaveras County and California
| Measure | Forest Meadows | Calaveras County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $484,100 | $441,800 |
| Median property tax | $4,136 | $3,154 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.854% | 0.714% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,615 |
| Population | 1,485 | 45,995 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Meadows sits in Calaveras County, which averages a high of 97.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.8°F in its coldest, with 29.75" of precipitation a year and 53% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,842 cooling and 2,547 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Calaveras County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Calaveras County
Full Calaveras County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Meadows?
A $484,000 home in Forest Meadows, California costs approximately $3,678 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,488 principal and interest, $344 property tax, $75 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $403 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Meadows?
Forest Meadows has an effective property tax rate of 0.854%, based on a median home value of $484,100 and median real estate taxes of $4,136. That is higher than the Calaveras County average of 0.714%.
What is the average home price in Forest Meadows?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Meadows, California is $484,100, against $441,800 across Calaveras County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Meadows?
Rent data is not published for Forest Meadows at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Forest Meadows — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- 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.