Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Princeton, New Jersey
A $1,040,000 home here costs
$7,578per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $5,347. The real number is $2,232 higher every month — 42% 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 Mercer County and New Jersey
| Measure | Princeton | Mercer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,040,400 | $351,000 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $8,804 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.961% | 2.508% |
| Median gross rent | $2,448 | $1,515 |
| Population | 30,451 | 383,286 |
The weather behind that power bill
Princeton sits in Mercer County, which averages a high of 86.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.3°F in its coldest, with 45.63" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,050 cooling and 4,977 heating degree days, which is what sets the $209 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Mercer County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Mercer County
Full Mercer County cost breakdown · Every county in New Jersey
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Princeton?
A $1,040,000 home in Princeton, New Jersey costs approximately $7,578 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $5,347 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $255 homeowners insurance, $277 utilities and $867 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Princeton?
Princeton has an effective property tax rate of 0.961%, based on a median home value of $1,040,400 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the Mercer County average of 2.508%.
What is the average home price in Princeton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Princeton, New Jersey is $1,040,400, against $351,000 across Mercer County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Princeton?
Median gross rent in Princeton is $2,448 a month, against $7,578 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 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.