Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fort Defiance, Arizona
A $38,000 home here costs
$466per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $195. The real number is $271 higher every month — 139% 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 Defiance against Apache County and Arizona
| Measure | Fort Defiance | Apache County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $37,800 | $68,500 |
| Median property tax | — | $574 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.838% | 0.838% |
| Median gross rent | $802 | $647 |
| Population | 3,614 | 65,680 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fort Defiance sits in Apache County, which averages a high of 90.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.9°F in its coldest, with 8.16" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 641 cooling and 5,275 heating degree days, which is what sets the $137 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Apache County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Apache County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fort Defiance?
A $38,000 home in Fort Defiance, Arizona costs approximately $466 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $195 principal and interest, $27 property tax, $8 homeowners insurance, $205 utilities and $32 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Defiance?
Place-level tax data is not published for Fort Defiance, so the Apache County rate of 0.838% applies here.
What is the average home price in Fort Defiance?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fort Defiance, Arizona is $37,800, against $68,500 across Apache County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fort Defiance?
Median gross rent in Fort Defiance is $802 a month, against $466 to own the median home all in. Owning 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 Defiance — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Arizona.
- 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.