Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in San Bruno, California
A $1,199,000 home here costs
$8,221per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $6,164. The real number is $2,057 higher every month — 33% 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.
San Bruno against San Mateo County and California
| Measure | San Bruno | San Mateo County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,199,400 | $1,494,500 |
| Median property tax | $6,051 | $9,167 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.505% | 0.613% |
| Median gross rent | $2,696 | $2,893 |
| Population | 42,612 | 745,100 |
The weather behind that power bill
San Bruno sits in San Mateo County, which averages a high of 66.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.9°F in its coldest, with 26.04" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 12 cooling and 3,701 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for San Mateo County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in San Mateo County
Full San Mateo County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in San Bruno?
A $1,199,000 home in San Bruno, California costs approximately $8,221 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $6,164 principal and interest, $505 property tax, $186 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $999 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in San Bruno?
San Bruno has an effective property tax rate of 0.505%, based on a median home value of $1,199,400 and median real estate taxes of $6,051. That is lower than the San Mateo County average of 0.613%.
What is the average home price in San Bruno?
The median owner-occupied home value in San Bruno, California is $1,199,400, against $1,494,500 across San Mateo County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in San Bruno?
Median gross rent in San Bruno is $2,696 a month, against $8,221 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 San Bruno — 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.