Cost to Own
United StatesVirginiaChesapeake city FIPS 51550 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Chesapeake city, Virginia

A $359,000 home here costs

$2,795

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

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,846. The real number is $950 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $359,100
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, $287,200 borrowed $1,846
Property tax0.818% effective rate — Chesapeake city assessor via Census ACS $245
Homeowners insuranceEstimated at 0.60% of home value per year $180
Electricity17.61¢/kWh — Virginia residential average, EIA $158
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year — the cost nobody budgets $299
Total monthly $2,795

How Chesapeake city compares

Chesapeake city ranks 1,624th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 1,509 counties and higher than in 1,623. Within Virginia it ranks 27th of 133.

Chesapeake city 0.818% 2% lower than national
Virginia average 0.671%
National median0.837%
Highest in America — Menominee County, WI3.636%

The numbers behind this page

MeasureChesapeake citySource
Median home value$359,100ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$2,937ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.818%Derived
Median gross rent$1,523ACS B25064
Occupied housing units92,361ACS B25003
Population251,153ACS B01003
Residential electricity price17.61¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.66%Freddie Mac PMMS

Other counties in Virginia

Compare the cost of the same home elsewhere in the state.

All 133 counties in Virginia

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Chesapeake city?

The effective property tax rate in Chesapeake city, Virginia is 0.818% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $359,100, that works out to about $2,937 annually, or $245 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Chesapeake city?

A $359,000 home in Chesapeake city, Virginia costs approximately $2,795 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That breaks down as $1,846 principal and interest, $245 property tax, $180 insurance, $226 utilities and $299 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $525 a month, which is why the real cost is 51% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Chesapeake city?

Median gross rent in Chesapeake city, Virginia is $1,523 per month, compared with $2,795 to own the median home outright. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Chesapeake city?

Virginia residential electricity averages 17.61¢ per kWh. At the US average household usage of 899 kWh per month, that is about $158. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate — median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance (0.60%/yr), maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every one is editable above.

Full methodology