Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Laurel, Virginia
A $272,000 home here costs
$2,077per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,398. The real number is $679 higher every month — 49% 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.
Laurel against Henrico County and Virginia
| Measure | Laurel | Henrico County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $272,300 | $333,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,911 | $2,416 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.702% | 0.724% |
| Median gross rent | $1,497 | $1,474 |
| Population | 18,180 | 334,434 |
The weather behind that power bill
Laurel sits in Henrico County, which averages a high of 89.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.8°F in its coldest, with 45.5" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,561 cooling and 3,736 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Henrico County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Henrico County
Full Henrico County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Laurel?
A $272,000 home in Laurel, Virginia costs approximately $2,077 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,398 principal and interest, $159 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $227 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Laurel?
Laurel has an effective property tax rate of 0.702%, based on a median home value of $272,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,911. That is lower than the Henrico County average of 0.724%.
What is the average home price in Laurel?
The median owner-occupied home value in Laurel, Virginia is $272,300, against $333,600 across Henrico County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Laurel?
Median gross rent in Laurel is $1,497 a month, against $2,077 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 Laurel — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- 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.