Cost to Own
United StatesNorth CarolinaPender CountyHampstead Population 9,129 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Hampstead, North Carolina

A $396,000 home here costs

$2,921

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,036. The real number is $885 higher every month — 43% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Hampstead median: $395,900
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $316,800 borrowed $2,036
Property tax0.630% effective rate for Hampstead itself $208
Homeowners insuranceNorth Carolina averages $1,192/yr (NAIC), or 0.435% of home value $144
Electricity15.09¢/kWh — North Carolina residential average, EIA $136
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $330
Total monthly $2,921

Hampstead against Pender County and North Carolina

MeasureHampsteadPender County
Median home value$395,900$267,100
Median property tax$2,494$1,858
Effective tax rate0.630%0.696%
Median gross rent$1,189$1,072
Population9,12963,475

The weather behind that power bill

Hampstead sits in Pender County, which averages a high of 90.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.3°F in its coldest, with 60.15" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,133 cooling and 2,326 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Pender County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Pender County

Full Pender County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Hampstead?

A $396,000 home in Hampstead, North Carolina costs approximately $2,921 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,036 principal and interest, $208 property tax, $144 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $330 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Hampstead?

Hampstead has an effective property tax rate of 0.630%, based on a median home value of $395,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,494. That is lower than the Pender County average of 0.696%.

What is the average home price in Hampstead?

The median owner-occupied home value in Hampstead, North Carolina is $395,900, against $267,100 across Pender County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hampstead?

Median gross rent in Hampstead is $1,189 a month, against $2,921 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 Hampstead — 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.

Full methodology