Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Taft, Florida
A $166,000 home here costs
$1,377per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $853. The real number is $524 higher every month — 61% 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.
Taft against Orange County and Florida
| Measure | Taft | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $165,900 | $358,300 |
| Median property tax | $967 | $2,795 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.583% | 0.780% |
| Median gross rent | $1,116 | $1,675 |
| Population | 1,867 | 1,440,471 |
The weather behind that power bill
Taft sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 91.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 51.8°F in its coldest, with 51.47" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,693 cooling and 468 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orange County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orange County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Taft?
A $166,000 home in Taft, Florida costs approximately $1,377 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $853 principal and interest, $81 property tax, $100 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $138 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Taft?
Taft has an effective property tax rate of 0.583%, based on a median home value of $165,900 and median real estate taxes of $967. That is lower than the Orange County average of 0.780%.
What is the average home price in Taft?
The median owner-occupied home value in Taft, Florida is $165,900, against $358,300 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Taft?
Median gross rent in Taft is $1,116 a month, against $1,377 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 Taft — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- 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.