Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Murphys, California
A $506,000 home here costs
$3,679per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,601. The real number is $1,077 higher every month — 41% 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.
Murphys against Calaveras County and California
| Measure | Murphys | Calaveras County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $506,300 | $441,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,525 | $3,154 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.499% | 0.714% |
| Median gross rent | $1,581 | $1,615 |
| Population | 1,821 | 45,995 |
The weather behind that power bill
Murphys sits in Calaveras County, which averages a high of 97.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.8°F in its coldest, with 29.75" of precipitation a year and 53% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,842 cooling and 2,547 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Calaveras County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Calaveras County
Full Calaveras County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Murphys?
A $506,000 home in Murphys, California costs approximately $3,679 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,601 principal and interest, $210 property tax, $78 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $422 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Murphys?
Murphys has an effective property tax rate of 0.499%, based on a median home value of $506,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,525. That is lower than the Calaveras County average of 0.714%.
What is the average home price in Murphys?
The median owner-occupied home value in Murphys, California is $506,300, against $441,800 across Calaveras County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Murphys?
Median gross rent in Murphys is $1,581 a month, against $3,679 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 Murphys — 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.