Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sun City, Arizona
A $260,000 home here costs
$1,895per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,337. The real number is $558 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.
Sun City against Maricopa County and Arizona
| Measure | Sun City | Maricopa County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $259,800 | $414,700 |
| Median property tax | $983 | $1,965 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.378% | 0.474% |
| Median gross rent | $1,457 | $1,587 |
| Population | 38,018 | 4,491,987 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sun City sits in Maricopa County, which averages a high of 106.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.0°F in its coldest, with 8.18" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,202 cooling and 1,140 heating degree days, which is what sets the $137 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Maricopa County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Maricopa County
Full Maricopa County cost breakdown · Every county in Arizona
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sun City?
A $260,000 home in Sun City, Arizona costs approximately $1,895 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,337 principal and interest, $82 property tax, $55 homeowners insurance, $205 utilities and $217 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sun City?
Sun City has an effective property tax rate of 0.378%, based on a median home value of $259,800 and median real estate taxes of $983. That is lower than the Maricopa County average of 0.474%.
What is the average home price in Sun City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sun City, Arizona is $259,800, against $414,700 across Maricopa County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sun City?
Median gross rent in Sun City is $1,457 a month, against $1,895 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 Sun City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Arizona.
- 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.