Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Surf City, North Carolina
A $479,000 home here costs
$3,520per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,463. The real number is $1,058 higher every month — 43% 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.
Surf City against Onslow County and North Carolina
| Measure | Surf City | Onslow County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $478,600 | $219,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,372 | $1,431 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.705% | 0.652% |
| Median gross rent | $1,421 | $1,198 |
| Population | 4,160 | 208,537 |
Surf City extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Onslow County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Surf City sits in Onslow County, which averages a high of 89.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.2°F in its coldest, with 56.51" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,022 cooling and 2,497 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Onslow County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Onslow County
Full Onslow County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Surf City?
A $479,000 home in Surf City, North Carolina costs approximately $3,520 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,463 principal and interest, $281 property tax, $174 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $399 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Surf City?
Surf City has an effective property tax rate of 0.705%, based on a median home value of $478,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,372. That is higher than the Onslow County average of 0.652%.
What is the average home price in Surf City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Surf City, North Carolina is $478,600, against $219,500 across Onslow County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Surf City?
Median gross rent in Surf City is $1,421 a month, against $3,520 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 Surf City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.