Cost to Own
United StatesMassachusettsMiddlesex CountyWinchester Population 22,862 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Winchester, Massachusetts

A $1,182,000 home here costs

$8,527

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $6,077. The real number is $2,451 higher every month — 40% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Winchester median: $1,181,700
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $945,600 borrowed $6,077
Property tax0.846% effective rate for Winchester itself $833
Homeowners insuranceMassachusetts averages $1,712/yr (NAIC), or 0.31% of home value $305
Electricity28.82¢/kWh — Massachusetts residential average, EIA $259
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $985
Total monthly $8,527

Winchester against Middlesex County and Massachusetts

MeasureWinchesterMiddlesex County
Median home value$1,181,700$687,200
Median property tax$10,001$7,240
Effective tax rate0.846%1.054%
Median gross rent$2,271$2,126
Population22,8621,622,896

The weather behind that power bill

Winchester sits in Middlesex County, which averages a high of 85.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.2°F in its coldest, with 42.6" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 743 cooling and 5,996 heating degree days, which is what sets the $259 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Middlesex County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Middlesex County

Full Middlesex County cost breakdown · Every county in Massachusetts

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Winchester?

A $1,182,000 home in Winchester, Massachusetts costs approximately $8,527 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $6,077 principal and interest, $833 property tax, $305 homeowners insurance, $327 utilities and $985 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Winchester?

Winchester has an effective property tax rate of 0.846%, based on a median home value of $1,181,700 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the Middlesex County average of 1.054%.

What is the average home price in Winchester?

The median owner-occupied home value in Winchester, Massachusetts is $1,181,700, against $687,200 across Middlesex County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Winchester?

Median gross rent in Winchester is $2,271 a month, against $8,527 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 Winchester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
  • Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Massachusetts.
  • 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.

Full methodology