Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fullerton, California
A $860,000 home here costs
$6,100per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,421. The real number is $1,679 higher every month — 38% 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.
Fullerton against Orange County and California
| Measure | Fullerton | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $859,600 | $915,500 |
| Median property tax | $5,546 | $6,096 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.645% | 0.666% |
| Median gross rent | $2,124 | $2,352 |
| Population | 141,278 | 3,164,063 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fullerton sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.8°F in its coldest, with 14.12" of precipitation a year and 62% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,246 cooling and 1,287 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orange County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orange County
Full Orange County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fullerton?
A $860,000 home in Fullerton, California costs approximately $6,100 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,421 principal and interest, $462 property tax, $133 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $717 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fullerton?
Fullerton has an effective property tax rate of 0.645%, based on a median home value of $859,600 and median real estate taxes of $5,546. That is lower than the Orange County average of 0.666%.
What is the average home price in Fullerton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fullerton, California is $859,600, against $915,500 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fullerton?
Median gross rent in Fullerton is $2,124 a month, against $6,100 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 Fullerton — 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.