Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Shafter, California
A $307,000 home here costs
$2,439per 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 $104,500 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,700. The real number is $738 higher every month, 43% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Kern 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.
Shafter against Kern County and California
| Measure | Shafter | Kern County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $306,800 | $310,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,371 | $2,833 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.773% | 0.912% |
| Median gross rent | $1,140 | $1,220 |
| Population | 20,618 | 910,433 |
The weather behind that power bill
Shafter sits in Kern County, which averages a high of 98.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.6°F in its coldest, with 6.36" of precipitation a year and 55% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,425 cooling and 1,958 heating degree days, which is what sets the $169 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kern County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kern County
Full Kern County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Shafter 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 Shafter every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Shafter I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Shafter?
A $307,000 home in Shafter, California costs approximately $2,439 per month with 20% down at 7.4%. That is $1,700 principal and interest, $198 property tax, $48 homeowners insurance, $237 utilities and $256 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Shafter?
Shafter has an effective property tax rate of 0.773%, based on a median home value of $306,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,371. That is lower than the Kern County average of 0.912%.
What is the average home price in Shafter?
The median owner-occupied home value in Shafter, California is $306,800, against $310,600 across Kern County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Shafter?
Median gross rent in Shafter is $1,140 a month, against $2,439 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 Shafter?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Shafter, California at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $104,500 a year. That covers the full $2,439 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Shafter, 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.