Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Ranch, California
A $491,000 home here costs
$3,751per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,524. The real number is $1,227 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.
Forest Ranch against Butte County and California
| Measure | Forest Ranch | Butte County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $491,300 | $408,700 |
| Median property tax | $4,500 | $2,819 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.916% | 0.690% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,369 |
| Population | 1,974 | 209,470 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Ranch sits in Butte County, which averages a high of 95.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.6°F in its coldest, with 25.67" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,747 cooling and 2,394 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Butte County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Butte County
Full Butte County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Ranch?
A $491,000 home in Forest Ranch, California costs approximately $3,751 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,524 principal and interest, $375 property tax, $76 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $409 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Ranch?
Forest Ranch has an effective property tax rate of 0.916%, based on a median home value of $491,300 and median real estate taxes of $4,500. That is higher than the Butte County average of 0.690%.
What is the average home price in Forest Ranch?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Ranch, California is $491,300, against $408,700 across Butte County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Ranch?
Rent data is not published for Forest Ranch at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Forest Ranch — 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.