Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in South Gate, California
A $609,000 home here costs
$4,432per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,131. The real number is $1,301 higher every month — 42% 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.
South Gate against Los Angeles County and California
| Measure | South Gate | Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $608,500 | $783,300 |
| Median property tax | $3,982 | $5,438 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.654% | 0.694% |
| Median gross rent | $1,471 | $1,893 |
| Population | 91,836 | 9,848,406 |
The weather behind that power bill
South Gate sits in Los Angeles County, which averages a high of 88.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 44.2°F in its coldest, with 13.91" of precipitation a year and 67% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,481 cooling and 1,400 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Los Angeles County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Los Angeles County
Full Los Angeles County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in South Gate?
A $609,000 home in South Gate, California costs approximately $4,432 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,131 principal and interest, $332 property tax, $94 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $508 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in South Gate?
South Gate has an effective property tax rate of 0.654%, based on a median home value of $608,500 and median real estate taxes of $3,982. That is lower than the Los Angeles County average of 0.694%.
What is the average home price in South Gate?
The median owner-occupied home value in South Gate, California is $608,500, against $783,300 across Los Angeles County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South Gate?
Median gross rent in South Gate is $1,471 a month, against $4,432 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 South Gate — 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.