Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fort Bragg, California
A $481,000 home here costs
$3,550per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,473. The real number is $1,078 higher every month — 44% 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.
Fort Bragg against Mendocino County and California
| Measure | Fort Bragg | Mendocino County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $481,200 | $486,000 |
| Median property tax | $2,826 | $3,376 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.587% | 0.695% |
| Median gross rent | $1,264 | $1,325 |
| Population | 7,001 | 90,709 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fort Bragg sits in Mendocino County, which averages a high of 83.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.3°F in its coldest, with 49.23" of precipitation a year and 56% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 195 cooling and 4,527 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Mendocino County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Mendocino County
Full Mendocino County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fort Bragg?
A $481,000 home in Fort Bragg, California costs approximately $3,550 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,473 principal and interest, $235 property tax, $75 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $401 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Bragg?
Fort Bragg has an effective property tax rate of 0.587%, based on a median home value of $481,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,826. That is lower than the Mendocino County average of 0.695%.
What is the average home price in Fort Bragg?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fort Bragg, California is $481,200, against $486,000 across Mendocino County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fort Bragg?
Median gross rent in Fort Bragg is $1,264 a month, against $3,550 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 Fort Bragg — 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.