Neighborhood Reality Check
Your mortgage payment is just the beginning. Here's the real monthly number — everything included. Enter your ZIP code for county-level property tax rates instead of state averages.
Saved planning info: HomeCostClarity can remember planning assumptions on this device so you do not have to retype them in other calculators.
Stored only in your browser. No names, addresses, email, phone numbers, account data, or server sync.
The Home
Exact Cost Overrides
Use these when a listing, lender, or HOA packet gives you better numbers.
Compare a Second Neighborhood
optional - choose whether Home B uses the same down payment dollars or the same down payment percent
Optional — For Better Estimates
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Effective property tax rates range widely by state. The difference on a $400,000 home can be thousands of dollars per year.
About this calculator
Last updated: 2026-07-07. Last reviewed: 2026-07-08. This calculator is educational only and estimates outcomes from the inputs, assumptions, and source data shown on the page. It does not provide financial, legal, mortgage, tax, insurance, real estate, or professional advice.
Assumptions
Uses entered price, down payment, rate, home age, HOA, utilities, and commute details. Defaults estimate taxes, insurance, maintenance, PMI, and utilities when inputs are blank.
Sources
Uses Freddie Mac via FRED, county and state property-tax data, NAIC insurance references, EIA utility data, FHFA appreciation data, and location lookup tables.
Data freshness
Mortgage-rate, property-tax, insurance, utility, and appreciation data can change. Result notes show the source level used for location-specific estimates.
What does it really cost to own a home each month?
The real monthly cost of homeownership includes principal and interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, maintenance reserves, HOA fees when applicable, utilities, and commute costs.
Why are property taxes different in different states?
Property taxes are set locally by counties, municipalities, and school districts, so effective rates vary dramatically by location.
What is a maintenance reserve for a home?
A maintenance reserve is money set aside for repairs and upkeep. A common planning guideline is 1% to 2% of the home's value annually, with older homes often requiring more.