Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Live Oak, Florida
A $158,000 home here costs
$1,344per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $812. The real number is $532 higher every month — 66% 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.
Live Oak against Suwannee County and Florida
| Measure | Live Oak | Suwannee County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $158,200 | $160,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,209 | $1,169 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.764% | 0.727% |
| Median gross rent | $880 | $849 |
| Population | 6,901 | 44,484 |
The weather behind that power bill
Live Oak sits in Suwannee County, which averages a high of 93.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 44.7°F in its coldest, with 51.89" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,254 cooling and 957 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Suwannee County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Suwannee County
No other places of this size are published in Suwannee County.
Full Suwannee County cost breakdown · Every county in Florida
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Live Oak?
A $158,000 home in Live Oak, Florida costs approximately $1,344 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $812 principal and interest, $101 property tax, $95 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $132 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Live Oak?
Live Oak has an effective property tax rate of 0.764%, based on a median home value of $158,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,209. That is higher than the Suwannee County average of 0.727%.
What is the average home price in Live Oak?
The median owner-occupied home value in Live Oak, Florida is $158,200, against $160,900 across Suwannee County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Live Oak?
Median gross rent in Live Oak is $880 a month, against $1,344 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 Live Oak — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- 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.