Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Northampton, Massachusetts
A $398,000 home here costs
$3,265per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,046. The real number is $1,219 higher every month — 60% 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.
Northampton against Hampshire County and Massachusetts
| Measure | Northampton | Hampshire County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $398,000 | $363,400 |
| Median property tax | $5,487 | $5,326 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.379% | 1.466% |
| Median gross rent | $1,404 | $1,332 |
| Population | 28,640 | 156,595 |
The weather behind that power bill
Northampton sits in Hampshire County, which averages a high of 84.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.5°F in its coldest, with 45.16" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 677 cooling and 6,330 heating degree days, which is what sets the $259 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hampshire County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hampshire County
Full Hampshire County cost breakdown · Every county in Massachusetts
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Northampton?
A $398,000 home in Northampton, Massachusetts costs approximately $3,265 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,046 principal and interest, $457 property tax, $103 homeowners insurance, $327 utilities and $332 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Northampton?
Northampton has an effective property tax rate of 1.379%, based on a median home value of $398,000 and median real estate taxes of $5,487. That is lower than the Hampshire County average of 1.466%.
What is the average home price in Northampton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Northampton, Massachusetts is $398,000, against $363,400 across Hampshire County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Northampton?
Median gross rent in Northampton is $1,404 a month, against $3,265 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 Northampton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Massachusetts.
- 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.