Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Millbrae, California
A $1,930,000 home here costs
$12,978per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $9,922. The real number is $3,056 higher every month — 31% 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.
Millbrae against San Mateo County and California
| Measure | Millbrae | San Mateo County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,929,700 | $1,494,500 |
| Median property tax | $9,387 | $9,167 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.486% | 0.613% |
| Median gross rent | $3,401 | $2,893 |
| Population | 22,589 | 745,100 |
The weather behind that power bill
Millbrae sits in San Mateo County, which averages a high of 66.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.9°F in its coldest, with 26.04" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 12 cooling and 3,701 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for San Mateo County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in San Mateo County
Full San Mateo County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Millbrae?
A $1,930,000 home in Millbrae, California costs approximately $12,978 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $9,922 principal and interest, $782 property tax, $299 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $1,608 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Millbrae?
Millbrae has an effective property tax rate of 0.486%, based on a median home value of $1,929,700 and median real estate taxes of $9,387. That is lower than the San Mateo County average of 0.613%.
What is the average home price in Millbrae?
The median owner-occupied home value in Millbrae, California is $1,929,700, against $1,494,500 across San Mateo County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Millbrae?
Median gross rent in Millbrae is $3,401 a month, against $12,978 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 Millbrae — 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.