Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Essex County, Massachusetts
A $584,000 home here costs
$4,430per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $190,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,033. The real number is $1,397 higher every month, 46% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare with Middlesex County · Suffolk County · Hillsborough County, NH · any county
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
How Essex County compares
Essex County ranks 1,033rd of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 2,100 counties and higher than in 1,032. Within Massachusetts it ranks 9th of 14.
Paying the full bill when you don't have to?
Massachusetts runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in Massachusetts. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.
The numbers behind this page
| Measure | Essex County | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $584,000 | ACS B25077 |
| Median real estate taxes paid | $6,267 | ACS B25103 |
| Effective property tax rate | 1.073% | Derived |
| Median gross rent | $1,673 | ACS B25064 |
| Occupied housing units | 311,676 | ACS B25003 |
| Population | 807,258 | ACS B01003 |
| Residential electricity price | 29.61¢/kWh | EIA 5.6.A, June 2026 |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 6.76% | Freddie Mac PMMS |
The risk behind the insurance bill
FEMA rates Essex County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively High among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $199 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.
One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.
Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Essex County.
Talk to someone who works this market
Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Essex County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Essex County I already own here and may sell
The weather behind that power bill
Essex County runs an average high of 81.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.7°F in its coldest, with 44.89" of precipitation a year and 28% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $169 electricity line above: 611 cooling degree days and 6,103 heating degree days a year.
See the full Essex County climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.
Cities and towns in Essex County
Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 1.073%.
Neighbouring counties
Counties sharing a border with Essex County. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.
Questions about owning here
What is the property tax rate in Essex County?
The effective property tax rate in Essex County, Massachusetts is 1.073% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $584,000, that works out to about $6,267 annually, or $522 per month.
How much does it cost to own a home in Essex County?
A $584,000 home in Essex County, Massachusetts costs approximately $4,430 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $3,033 principal and interest, $522 property tax, $151 insurance, $237 utilities and $487 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 $723 a month, which is why the real cost is 46% above the mortgage payment alone.
Is it cheaper to rent in Essex County?
Median gross rent in Essex County, Massachusetts is $1,673 per month, compared with $4,430 a month to own the median home all in. 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 Essex County?
Massachusetts residential electricity averages 29.61¢ per kWh. At the MA average household usage of 570 kWh per month, that is about $169. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Essex County?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Essex County, Massachusetts at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $190,000 a year. That covers the full $4,430 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
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, NAIC average premium for Massachusetts ($1,712/yr), expressed as 0.31% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.