Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Valdez, Alaska
A $312,000 home here costs
$2,577per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,604. The real number is $973 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.
Valdez against Chugach Census Area and Alaska
| Measure | Valdez | Chugach Census Area |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $312,400 | $330,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,701 | $3,033 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.185% | 0.917% |
| Median gross rent | $1,463 | $1,397 |
| Population | 3,911 | 6,964 |
The weather behind that power bill
Valdez sits in Chugach Census Area, which averages a high of 61.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.0°F in its coldest, with 86.18" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1 cooling and 9,136 heating degree days, which is what sets the $254 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chugach Census Area — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chugach Census Area
Full Chugach Census Area cost breakdown · Every county in Alaska
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Valdez?
A $312,000 home in Valdez, Alaska costs approximately $2,577 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,604 principal and interest, $308 property tax, $83 homeowners insurance, $322 utilities and $260 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Valdez?
Valdez has an effective property tax rate of 1.185%, based on a median home value of $312,400 and median real estate taxes of $3,701. That is higher than the Chugach Census Area average of 0.917%.
What is the average home price in Valdez?
The median owner-occupied home value in Valdez, Alaska is $312,400, against $330,900 across Chugach Census Area.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Valdez?
Median gross rent in Valdez is $1,463 a month, against $2,577 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 Valdez — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alaska.
- 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.