Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Joshua Tree, California
A $281,000 home here costs
$2,242per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,445. The real number is $797 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.
Joshua Tree against San Bernardino County and California
| Measure | Joshua Tree | San Bernardino County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $280,600 | $475,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,826 | $3,346 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.651% | 0.704% |
| Median gross rent | $1,191 | $1,706 |
| Population | 6,767 | 2,187,816 |
The weather behind that power bill
Joshua Tree sits in San Bernardino County, which averages a high of 105.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.0°F in its coldest, with 3.77" of precipitation a year and 49% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,129 cooling and 2,019 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for San Bernardino County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in San Bernardino County
Full San Bernardino County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Joshua Tree?
A $281,000 home in Joshua Tree, California costs approximately $2,242 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,445 principal and interest, $152 property tax, $44 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $234 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Joshua Tree?
Joshua Tree has an effective property tax rate of 0.651%, based on a median home value of $280,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,826. That is lower than the San Bernardino County average of 0.704%.
What is the average home price in Joshua Tree?
The median owner-occupied home value in Joshua Tree, California is $280,600, against $475,000 across San Bernardino County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Joshua Tree?
Median gross rent in Joshua Tree is $1,191 a month, against $2,242 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 Joshua Tree — 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.