Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in South Lake Tahoe, California
A $630,000 home here costs
$4,527per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,239. The real number is $1,288 higher every month — 40% 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 Lake Tahoe against El Dorado County and California
| Measure | South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $630,200 | $640,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,577 | $4,510 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.568% | 0.704% |
| Median gross rent | $1,467 | $1,626 |
| Population | 21,319 | 192,299 |
The weather behind that power bill
South Lake Tahoe sits in El Dorado County, which averages a high of 90.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.5°F in its coldest, with 54.46" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 594 cooling and 4,977 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for El Dorado County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in El Dorado County
Full El Dorado County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in South Lake Tahoe?
A $630,000 home in South Lake Tahoe, California costs approximately $4,527 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,239 principal and interest, $298 property tax, $98 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $525 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in South Lake Tahoe?
South Lake Tahoe has an effective property tax rate of 0.568%, based on a median home value of $630,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,577. That is lower than the El Dorado County average of 0.704%.
What is the average home price in South Lake Tahoe?
The median owner-occupied home value in South Lake Tahoe, California is $630,200, against $640,500 across El Dorado County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South Lake Tahoe?
Median gross rent in South Lake Tahoe is $1,467 a month, against $4,527 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 Lake Tahoe — 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.