Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Saugus, Massachusetts
A $590,000 home here costs
$4,497per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,033. The real number is $1,464 higher every month — 48% 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.
Saugus against Essex County and Massachusetts
| Measure | Saugus | Essex County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $589,500 | $584,000 |
| Median property tax | $5,907 | $6,267 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.002% | 1.073% |
| Median gross rent | $1,982 | $1,673 |
| Population | 28,599 | 807,258 |
The weather behind that power bill
Saugus sits in Essex County, which averages a high of 81.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.7°F in its coldest, with 44.89" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 611 cooling and 6,103 heating degree days, which is what sets the $259 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Essex County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Essex County
Full Essex County cost breakdown · Every county in Massachusetts
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Saugus?
A $590,000 home in Saugus, Massachusetts costs approximately $4,497 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,033 principal and interest, $493 property tax, $152 homeowners insurance, $327 utilities and $492 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Saugus?
Saugus has an effective property tax rate of 1.002%, based on a median home value of $589,500 and median real estate taxes of $5,907. That is lower than the Essex County average of 1.073%.
What is the average home price in Saugus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Saugus, Massachusetts is $589,500, against $584,000 across Essex County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Saugus?
Median gross rent in Saugus is $1,982 a month, against $4,497 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 Saugus — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Massachusetts.
- 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.