Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
A $915,000 home here costs
$6,801per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,704. The real number is $2,097 higher every month — 45% 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.
Mountain Lakes against Morris County and New Jersey
| Measure | Mountain Lakes | Morris County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $915,100 | $557,000 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $10,001 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.093% | 1.796% |
| Median gross rent | $2,941 | $1,860 |
| Population | 4,535 | 510,375 |
The weather behind that power bill
Mountain Lakes sits in Morris County, which averages a high of 85.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 22.9°F in its coldest, with 44.88" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 973 cooling and 5,272 heating degree days, which is what sets the $209 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Morris County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Morris County
Full Morris County cost breakdown · Every county in New Jersey
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Mountain Lakes?
A $915,000 home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey costs approximately $6,801 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,704 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $224 homeowners insurance, $277 utilities and $763 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Mountain Lakes?
Mountain Lakes has an effective property tax rate of 1.093%, based on a median home value of $915,100 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the Morris County average of 1.796%.
What is the average home price in Mountain Lakes?
The median owner-occupied home value in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey is $915,100, against $557,000 across Morris County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mountain Lakes?
Median gross rent in Mountain Lakes is $2,941 a month, against $6,801 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 Mountain Lakes — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New Jersey.
- 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.