Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
A $673,000 home here costs
$4,719per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,460. The real number is $1,259 higher every month — 36% 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.
Highlands Ranch against Douglas County and Colorado
| Measure | Highlands Ranch | Douglas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $672,600 | $674,000 |
| Median property tax | $3,476 | $3,707 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.517% | 0.550% |
| Median gross rent | $2,397 | $2,095 |
| Population | 101,437 | 368,283 |
The weather behind that power bill
Highlands Ranch sits in Douglas County, which averages a high of 85.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.0°F in its coldest, with 17.6" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 498 cooling and 6,103 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Douglas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Douglas County
Full Douglas County cost breakdown · Every county in Colorado
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Highlands Ranch?
A $673,000 home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado costs approximately $4,719 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,460 principal and interest, $290 property tax, $195 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $561 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Highlands Ranch?
Highlands Ranch has an effective property tax rate of 0.517%, based on a median home value of $672,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,476. That is lower than the Douglas County average of 0.550%.
What is the average home price in Highlands Ranch?
The median owner-occupied home value in Highlands Ranch, Colorado is $672,600, against $674,000 across Douglas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Highlands Ranch?
Median gross rent in Highlands Ranch is $2,397 a month, against $4,719 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 Highlands Ranch — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Colorado.
- 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.