Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Merrifield, Virginia
A $638,000 home here costs
$4,729per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,280. The real number is $1,449 higher every month — 44% 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.
Merrifield against Fairfax County and Virginia
| Measure | Merrifield | Fairfax County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $637,600 | $699,700 |
| Median property tax | $6,404 | $7,072 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.004% | 1.011% |
| Median gross rent | $2,308 | $2,230 |
| Population | 20,549 | 1,144,474 |
The weather behind that power bill
Merrifield sits in Fairfax County, which averages a high of 83.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.4°F in its coldest, with 43.57" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 964 cooling and 4,931 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Fairfax County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Fairfax County
Full Fairfax County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Merrifield?
A $638,000 home in Merrifield, Virginia costs approximately $4,729 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,280 principal and interest, $534 property tax, $157 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $532 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Merrifield?
Merrifield has an effective property tax rate of 1.004%, based on a median home value of $637,600 and median real estate taxes of $6,404. That is in line with the Fairfax County average of 1.011%.
What is the average home price in Merrifield?
The median owner-occupied home value in Merrifield, Virginia is $637,600, against $699,700 across Fairfax County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Merrifield?
Median gross rent in Merrifield is $2,308 a month, against $4,729 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 Merrifield — 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.