Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Modesto, California
A $416,000 home here costs
$3,144per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,139. The real number is $1,005 higher every month — 47% 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.
Modesto against Stanislaus County and California
| Measure | Modesto | Stanislaus County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $415,600 | $426,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,727 | $3,025 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.656% | 0.709% |
| Median gross rent | $1,609 | $1,528 |
| Population | 218,614 | 552,250 |
The weather behind that power bill
Modesto sits in Stanislaus County, which averages a high of 95.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 38.6°F in its coldest, with 12.27" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,624 cooling and 2,300 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Stanislaus County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Stanislaus County
Full Stanislaus County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Modesto?
A $416,000 home in Modesto, California costs approximately $3,144 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,139 principal and interest, $227 property tax, $64 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $347 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Modesto?
Modesto has an effective property tax rate of 0.656%, based on a median home value of $415,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,727. That is lower than the Stanislaus County average of 0.709%.
What is the average home price in Modesto?
The median owner-occupied home value in Modesto, California is $415,600, against $426,600 across Stanislaus County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Modesto?
Median gross rent in Modesto is $1,609 a month, against $3,144 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 Modesto — 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.