Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Westminster, California
A $820,000 home here costs
$5,816per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,216. The real number is $1,600 higher every month — 38% 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.
Westminster against Orange County and California
| Measure | Westminster | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $820,000 | $915,500 |
| Median property tax | $5,079 | $6,096 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.619% | 0.666% |
| Median gross rent | $2,100 | $2,352 |
| Population | 90,147 | 3,164,063 |
The weather behind that power bill
Westminster sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.8°F in its coldest, with 14.12" of precipitation a year and 62% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,246 cooling and 1,287 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 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 California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Westminster?
A $820,000 home in Westminster, California costs approximately $5,816 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,216 principal and interest, $423 property tax, $127 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $683 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Westminster?
Westminster has an effective property tax rate of 0.619%, based on a median home value of $820,000 and median real estate taxes of $5,079. That is lower than the Orange County average of 0.666%.
What is the average home price in Westminster?
The median owner-occupied home value in Westminster, California is $820,000, against $915,500 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Westminster?
Median gross rent in Westminster is $2,100 a month, against $5,816 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 Westminster — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- 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.