Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Southern Gateway, Virginia
A $246,000 home here costs
$1,945per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,265. The real number is $680 higher every month — 54% 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.
Southern Gateway against Stafford County and Virginia
| Measure | Southern Gateway | Stafford County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,300 | $458,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,261 | $3,301 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.918% | 0.719% |
| Median gross rent | $1,853 | $1,925 |
| Population | 2,224 | 160,520 |
The weather behind that power bill
Southern Gateway sits in Stafford County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 41.03" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,512 cooling and 4,002 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Stafford County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Stafford County
Full Stafford County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Southern Gateway?
A $246,000 home in Southern Gateway, Virginia costs approximately $1,945 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,265 principal and interest, $188 property tax, $60 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $205 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Southern Gateway?
Southern Gateway has an effective property tax rate of 0.918%, based on a median home value of $246,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,261. That is higher than the Stafford County average of 0.719%.
What is the average home price in Southern Gateway?
The median owner-occupied home value in Southern Gateway, Virginia is $246,300, against $458,800 across Stafford County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Southern Gateway?
Median gross rent in Southern Gateway is $1,853 a month, against $1,945 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 Southern Gateway — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- 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.