Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Mission Viejo, California
A $946,000 home here costs
$6,638per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,863. The real number is $1,775 higher every month — 36% 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.
Mission Viejo against Orange County and California
| Measure | Mission Viejo | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $946,300 | $915,500 |
| Median property tax | $5,675 | $6,096 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.600% | 0.666% |
| Median gross rent | $2,713 | $2,352 |
| Population | 92,415 | 3,164,063 |
The weather behind that power bill
Mission Viejo sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.8°F in its coldest, with 14.12" of precipitation a year and 62% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,246 cooling and 1,287 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orange County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orange County
Full Orange County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Mission Viejo?
A $946,000 home in Mission Viejo, California costs approximately $6,638 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,863 principal and interest, $473 property tax, $147 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $788 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Mission Viejo?
Mission Viejo has an effective property tax rate of 0.600%, based on a median home value of $946,300 and median real estate taxes of $5,675. That is lower than the Orange County average of 0.666%.
What is the average home price in Mission Viejo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Mission Viejo, California is $946,300, against $915,500 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mission Viejo?
Median gross rent in Mission Viejo is $2,713 a month, against $6,638 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 Mission Viejo — 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.