Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sacramento, California
A $485,000 home here costs
$3,710per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.40% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $159,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,686. The real number is $1,024 higher every month, 38% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Sacramento County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Sacramento against Sacramento County and California
| Measure | Sacramento | Sacramento County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $484,600 | $498,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,690 | $3,768 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.761% | 0.755% |
| Median gross rent | $1,694 | $1,702 |
| Population | 524,802 | 1,584,047 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sacramento sits in Sacramento County, which averages a high of 94.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.7°F in its coldest, with 19.2" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,576 cooling and 2,139 heating degree days, which is what sets the $169 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sacramento County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sacramento County
Full Sacramento County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Sacramento averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Sacramento every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Sacramento I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sacramento?
A $485,000 home in Sacramento, California costs approximately $3,710 per month with 20% down at 7.4%. That is $2,686 principal and interest, $308 property tax, $75 homeowners insurance, $237 utilities and $404 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sacramento?
Sacramento has an effective property tax rate of 0.761%, based on a median home value of $484,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,690. That is in line with the Sacramento County average of 0.755%.
What is the average home price in Sacramento?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sacramento, California is $484,600, against $498,900 across Sacramento County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sacramento?
Median gross rent in Sacramento is $1,694 a month, against $3,710 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Sacramento?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Sacramento, California at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $159,000 a year. That covers the full $3,710 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Sacramento, 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.