Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Highland Lakes, New Jersey
A $291,000 home here costs
$2,663per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,496. The real number is $1,167 higher every month — 78% 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.
Highland Lakes against Sussex County and New Jersey
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Sussex County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $291,200 | $342,800 |
| Median property tax | $6,921 | $8,462 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.377% | 2.468% |
| Median gross rent | $1,862 | $1,503 |
| Population | 3,941 | 145,117 |
The weather behind that power bill
Highland Lakes sits in Sussex County, which averages a high of 83.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.0°F in its coldest, with 40.95" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 639 cooling and 6,048 heating degree days, which is what sets the $209 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sussex County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sussex County
Full Sussex County cost breakdown · Every county in New Jersey
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Highland Lakes?
A $291,000 home in Highland Lakes, New Jersey costs approximately $2,663 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,496 principal and interest, $576 property tax, $71 homeowners insurance, $277 utilities and $243 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Highland Lakes?
Highland Lakes has an effective property tax rate of 2.377%, based on a median home value of $291,200 and median real estate taxes of $6,921. That is lower than the Sussex County average of 2.468%.
What is the average home price in Highland Lakes?
The median owner-occupied home value in Highland Lakes, New Jersey is $291,200, against $342,800 across Sussex County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Highland Lakes?
Median gross rent in Highland Lakes is $1,862 a month, against $2,663 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 Highland Lakes — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New Jersey.
- 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.