Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forks, Washington
A $194,000 home here costs
$1,485per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $997. The real number is $488 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.
Forks against Clallam County and Washington
| Measure | Forks | Clallam County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $193,900 | $385,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,139 | $2,860 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.587% | 0.742% |
| Median gross rent | $878 | $1,110 |
| Population | 3,413 | 77,593 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forks sits in Clallam County, which averages a high of 69.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.0°F in its coldest, with 29.41" of precipitation a year and 50% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 23 cooling and 6,015 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clallam County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clallam County
Full Clallam County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forks?
A $194,000 home in Forks, Washington costs approximately $1,485 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $997 principal and interest, $95 property tax, $29 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $162 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forks?
Forks has an effective property tax rate of 0.587%, based on a median home value of $193,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,139. That is lower than the Clallam County average of 0.742%.
What is the average home price in Forks?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forks, Washington is $193,900, against $385,600 across Clallam County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forks?
Median gross rent in Forks is $878 a month, against $1,485 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 Forks — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.