Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in St. Helena, California
A $1,964,000 home here costs
$13,187per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $10,097. The real number is $3,090 higher every month — 31% 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.
St. Helena against Napa County and California
| Measure | St. Helena | Napa County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,964,300 | $838,800 |
| Median property tax | $9,380 | $5,840 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.478% | 0.696% |
| Median gross rent | $2,391 | $2,141 |
| Population | 5,378 | 136,070 |
The weather behind that power bill
St. Helena sits in Napa County, which averages a high of 84.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 38.8°F in its coldest, with 39.71" of precipitation a year and 60% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 604 cooling and 3,375 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Napa County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Napa County
Full Napa County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in St. Helena?
A $1,964,000 home in St. Helena, California costs approximately $13,187 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $10,097 principal and interest, $782 property tax, $304 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $1,637 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in St. Helena?
St. Helena has an effective property tax rate of 0.478%, based on a median home value of $1,964,300 and median real estate taxes of $9,380. That is lower than the Napa County average of 0.696%.
What is the average home price in St. Helena?
The median owner-occupied home value in St. Helena, California is $1,964,300, against $838,800 across Napa County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in St. Helena?
Median gross rent in St. Helena is $2,391 a month, against $13,187 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 St. Helena — 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.