Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Garner, North Carolina
A $320,000 home here costs
$2,440per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,645. The real number is $795 higher every month — 48% 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.
Garner against Wake County and North Carolina
| Measure | Garner | Wake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $320,300 | $422,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,506 | $3,023 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.782% | 0.715% |
| Median gross rent | $1,452 | $1,508 |
| Population | 32,543 | 1,151,009 |
The weather behind that power bill
Garner sits in Wake County, which averages a high of 90.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.6°F in its coldest, with 49.36" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,779 cooling and 3,165 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wake County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wake County
Full Wake County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Garner?
A $320,000 home in Garner, North Carolina costs approximately $2,440 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,645 principal and interest, $209 property tax, $116 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $267 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Garner?
Garner has an effective property tax rate of 0.782%, based on a median home value of $320,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,506. That is higher than the Wake County average of 0.715%.
What is the average home price in Garner?
The median owner-occupied home value in Garner, North Carolina is $320,300, against $422,800 across Wake County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Garner?
Median gross rent in Garner is $1,452 a month, against $2,440 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 Garner — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.