Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Princeton, North Carolina
A $166,000 home here costs
$1,378per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $853. The real number is $525 higher every month — 62% 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.
Princeton against Johnston County and North Carolina
| Measure | Princeton | Johnston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $165,800 | $267,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,470 | $1,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.887% | 0.688% |
| Median gross rent | $686 | $1,007 |
| Population | 1,543 | 226,623 |
The weather behind that power bill
Princeton sits in Johnston County, which averages a high of 91.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.4°F in its coldest, with 49.37" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,871 cooling and 3,078 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Johnston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Johnston County
Full Johnston County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Princeton?
A $166,000 home in Princeton, North Carolina costs approximately $1,378 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $853 principal and interest, $123 property tax, $60 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $138 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Princeton?
Princeton has an effective property tax rate of 0.887%, based on a median home value of $165,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,470. That is higher than the Johnston County average of 0.688%.
What is the average home price in Princeton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Princeton, North Carolina is $165,800, against $267,600 across Johnston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Princeton?
Median gross rent in Princeton is $686 a month, against $1,378 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 Princeton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.