Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lake California, California
A $339,000 home here costs
$2,649per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,743. The real number is $906 higher every month — 52% 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.
Lake California against Tehama County and California
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $338,700 | $315,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,446 | $1,996 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.722% | 0.632% |
| Median gross rent | $1,714 | $1,159 |
| Population | 3,805 | 65,520 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lake California sits in Tehama County, which averages a high of 98.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.8°F in its coldest, with 23.12" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,926 cooling and 2,525 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tehama County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tehama County
Full Tehama County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lake California?
A $339,000 home in Lake California, California costs approximately $2,649 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,743 principal and interest, $204 property tax, $53 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $283 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lake California?
Lake California has an effective property tax rate of 0.722%, based on a median home value of $338,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,446. That is higher than the Tehama County average of 0.632%.
What is the average home price in Lake California?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lake California, California is $338,700, against $315,600 across Tehama County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake California?
Median gross rent in Lake California is $1,714 a month, against $2,649 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 Lake California — 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.