Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Seaside, California
A $693,000 home here costs
$4,925per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,563. The real number is $1,362 higher every month — 38% 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.
Seaside against Monterey County and California
| Measure | Seaside | Monterey County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $692,600 | $723,100 |
| Median property tax | $3,716 | $4,782 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.537% | 0.661% |
| Median gross rent | $2,314 | $1,995 |
| Population | 31,964 | 435,834 |
The weather behind that power bill
Seaside sits in Monterey County, which averages a high of 85.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.1°F in its coldest, with 11.83" of precipitation a year and 59% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 578 cooling and 2,288 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Monterey County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Monterey County
Full Monterey County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Seaside?
A $693,000 home in Seaside, California costs approximately $4,925 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,563 principal and interest, $310 property tax, $107 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $578 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Seaside?
Seaside has an effective property tax rate of 0.537%, based on a median home value of $692,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,716. That is lower than the Monterey County average of 0.661%.
What is the average home price in Seaside?
The median owner-occupied home value in Seaside, California is $692,600, against $723,100 across Monterey County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Seaside?
Median gross rent in Seaside is $2,314 a month, against $4,925 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 Seaside — 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.