Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Pelham, Alabama
A $279,000 home here costs
$2,191per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,434. The real number is $756 higher every month — 53% 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.
Pelham against Shelby County and Alabama
| Measure | Pelham | Shelby County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $278,900 | $298,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,376 | $1,343 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.493% | 0.450% |
| Median gross rent | $1,573 | $1,348 |
| Population | 24,510 | 226,955 |
The weather behind that power bill
Pelham sits in Shelby County, which averages a high of 91.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.6°F in its coldest, with 56.19" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,181 cooling and 2,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Shelby County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Shelby County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Pelham?
A $279,000 home in Pelham, Alabama costs approximately $2,191 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,434 principal and interest, $115 property tax, $190 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $233 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Pelham?
Pelham has an effective property tax rate of 0.493%, based on a median home value of $278,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,376. That is higher than the Shelby County average of 0.450%.
What is the average home price in Pelham?
The median owner-occupied home value in Pelham, Alabama is $278,900, against $298,700 across Shelby County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Pelham?
Median gross rent in Pelham is $1,573 a month, against $2,191 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 Pelham — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- 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.