Marcus ReedUpdated Jun 16, 202610 min read
Quick answer
Beyond the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and maintenance add roughly 30–50% to the true monthly cost of owning a home in 2026. A common rule of thumb is to budget about 1% of the home's value per year for maintenance.
Key takeaways
- •Taxes, insurance and upkeep can add 30–50% over the mortgage payment.
- •Property taxes range 0.3%–2.2% of value per year, by state.
- •Budget ~1% of home value annually for maintenance (the 1% rule).
- •Home insurance is rising fast — budget $1,500–$4,000+ per year.
The mortgage is only part of the picture. Taxes, insurance, and maintenance can add 30–50% to your true monthly cost of owning in 2026.
- •Property taxes: 0.3%–2.2% of value per year, wildly state-dependent.
- •Insurance: rising fast — budget $1,500–$4,000+/yr.
- •Maintenance (the 1% rule): set aside ~1% of home value per year.
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Reviewed by Marcus Reed · Updated Jun 16, 2026 · See our cost methodology.
Marcus Reed
Licensed GC turned cost analyst. Marcus Reed has priced 400+ remodels and writes the weekly cost report. All figures are grounded in 2026 regional data and reviewed before publishing.
