Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Imperial, California
A $345,000 home here costs
$2,757per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,774. The real number is $983 higher every month — 55% 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.
Imperial against Imperial County and California
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $344,700 | $279,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,301 | $2,348 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.958% | 0.840% |
| Median gross rent | $1,396 | $1,012 |
| Population | 20,943 | 179,319 |
The weather behind that power bill
Imperial sits in Imperial County, which averages a high of 107.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.2°F in its coldest, with 2.38" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,162 cooling and 966 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Imperial County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Imperial County
Full Imperial County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Imperial?
A $345,000 home in Imperial, California costs approximately $2,757 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,774 principal and interest, $275 property tax, $53 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $288 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Imperial?
Imperial has an effective property tax rate of 0.958%, based on a median home value of $344,700 and median real estate taxes of $3,301. That is higher than the Imperial County average of 0.840%.
What is the average home price in Imperial?
The median owner-occupied home value in Imperial, California is $344,700, against $279,500 across Imperial County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Imperial?
Median gross rent in Imperial is $1,396 a month, against $2,757 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 Imperial — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- 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.