Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Gainesville, Florida
A $235,000 home here costs
$1,939per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,208. The real number is $731 higher every month — 61% 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.
Gainesville against Alachua County and Florida
| Measure | Gainesville | Alachua County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $235,000 | $266,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,265 | $2,623 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.964% | 0.983% |
| Median gross rent | $1,214 | $1,255 |
| Population | 143,611 | 281,751 |
The weather behind that power bill
Gainesville sits in Alachua County, which averages a high of 91.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.6°F in its coldest, with 48.31" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,741 cooling and 1,139 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Alachua County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Alachua County
Full Alachua County cost breakdown · Every county in Florida
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Gainesville?
A $235,000 home in Gainesville, Florida costs approximately $1,939 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,208 principal and interest, $189 property tax, $142 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $196 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Gainesville?
Gainesville has an effective property tax rate of 0.964%, based on a median home value of $235,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,265. That is lower than the Alachua County average of 0.983%.
What is the average home price in Gainesville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Gainesville, Florida is $235,000, against $266,800 across Alachua County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gainesville?
Median gross rent in Gainesville is $1,214 a month, against $1,939 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 Gainesville — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- 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.