Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rio del Mar, California
A $1,243,000 home here costs
$8,644per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $6,390. The real number is $2,254 higher every month — 35% 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.
Rio del Mar against Santa Cruz County and California
| Measure | Rio del Mar | Santa Cruz County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,242,600 | $1,015,200 |
| Median property tax | $7,898 | $6,305 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.636% | 0.621% |
| Median gross rent | $3,172 | $2,172 |
| Population | 8,938 | 266,021 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rio del Mar sits in Santa Cruz County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.9°F in its coldest, with 30.63" of precipitation a year and 60% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 180 cooling and 2,487 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Santa Cruz County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Santa Cruz County
Full Santa Cruz County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rio del Mar?
A $1,243,000 home in Rio del Mar, California costs approximately $8,644 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $6,390 principal and interest, $659 property tax, $193 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $1,036 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rio del Mar?
Rio del Mar has an effective property tax rate of 0.636%, based on a median home value of $1,242,600 and median real estate taxes of $7,898. That is higher than the Santa Cruz County average of 0.621%.
What is the average home price in Rio del Mar?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rio del Mar, California is $1,242,600, against $1,015,200 across Santa Cruz County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rio del Mar?
Median gross rent in Rio del Mar is $3,172 a month, against $8,644 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 Rio del Mar — 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.