Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Gainesville, Virginia
A $661,000 home here costs
$4,868per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,398. The real number is $1,470 higher every month — 43% 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 Prince William County and Virginia
| Measure | Gainesville | Prince William County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $660,800 | $500,600 |
| Median property tax | $6,362 | $4,910 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.963% | 0.981% |
| Median gross rent | $2,444 | $2,002 |
| Population | 18,036 | 484,625 |
The weather behind that power bill
Gainesville sits in Prince William County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 41.03" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,512 cooling and 4,002 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Prince William County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Prince William County
Full Prince William County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Gainesville?
A $661,000 home in Gainesville, Virginia costs approximately $4,868 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,398 principal and interest, $530 property tax, $162 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $551 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Gainesville?
Gainesville has an effective property tax rate of 0.963%, based on a median home value of $660,800 and median real estate taxes of $6,362. That is lower than the Prince William County average of 0.981%.
What is the average home price in Gainesville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Gainesville, Virginia is $660,800, against $500,600 across Prince William County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gainesville?
Median gross rent in Gainesville is $2,444 a month, against $4,868 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 Virginia.
- 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.