Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Washington Heights, New York
A $365,000 home here costs
$3,223per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,876. The real number is $1,347 higher every month — 72% 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.
Washington Heights against Orange County and New York
| Measure | Washington Heights | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $365,400 | $361,100 |
| Median property tax | $7,514 | $8,463 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.056% | 2.344% |
| Median gross rent | $2,222 | $1,602 |
| Population | 3,189 | 403,840 |
The weather behind that power bill
Washington Heights sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 83.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.3°F in its coldest, with 40.99" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 617 cooling and 6,266 heating degree days, which is what sets the $269 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
Full Orange County cost breakdown · Every county in New York
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Washington Heights?
A $365,000 home in Washington Heights, New York costs approximately $3,223 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,876 principal and interest, $625 property tax, $80 homeowners insurance, $337 utilities and $304 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Washington Heights?
Washington Heights has an effective property tax rate of 2.056%, based on a median home value of $365,400 and median real estate taxes of $7,514. That is lower than the Orange County average of 2.344%.
What is the average home price in Washington Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Washington Heights, New York is $365,400, against $361,100 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Washington Heights?
Median gross rent in Washington Heights is $2,222 a month, against $3,223 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 Washington Heights — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New York.
- 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.