Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Franklin Center, New Jersey
A $565,000 home here costs
$4,753per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.24% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $203,500 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,080. The real number is $1,673 higher every month, 54% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Somerset County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Franklin Center against Somerset County and New Jersey
| Measure | Franklin Center | Somerset County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $565,200 | $523,900 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $10,001 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.769% | 1.909% |
| Median gross rent | $2,588 | $1,921 |
| Population | 5,770 | 346,203 |
The weather behind that power bill
Franklin Center sits in Somerset County, which averages a high of 86.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.6°F in its coldest, with 45.49" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 859 cooling and 5,385 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Somerset County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Somerset County
Full Somerset County cost breakdown · Every county in New Jersey
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Franklin Center averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Franklin Center every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Franklin Center I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Franklin Center?
A $565,000 home in Franklin Center, New Jersey costs approximately $4,753 per month with 20% down at 7.24%. That is $3,080 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $138 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $471 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Franklin Center?
Franklin Center has an effective property tax rate of 1.769%, based on a median home value of $565,200 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the Somerset County average of 1.909%.
What is the average home price in Franklin Center?
The median owner-occupied home value in Franklin Center, New Jersey is $565,200, against $523,900 across Somerset County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Franklin Center?
Median gross rent in Franklin Center is $2,588 a month, against $4,753 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Franklin Center?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Franklin Center, New Jersey at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $203,500 a year. That covers the full $4,753 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Franklin Center, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for New Jersey.
- 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.