Hidden costs of homeownership top $16.5K/year, up nearly 32% in 5 years
A Zillow and Thumbtack analysis finds insurance is the fastest-rising cost of owning a home, while the overall pace of growth has slowed
- Insurance, maintenance and property taxes now cost the typical U.S. homeowner $16,566 per year, about $1,380 a month on top of a mortgage payment.
- The pace is cooling. Hidden costs are up 32% over five years but just 3% over the past year.
- Insurance premiums are climbing the most. In Houston, Phoenix, Denver and Nashville, homeowners now pay more for insurance than for property taxes.
SEATTLE and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Buying a home comes with a price tag, but keeping that home comes with a second one. A new analysis from Zillow® and Thumbtack finds that the hidden costs of homeownership, which include maintenance, property taxes and homeowners insurance, now add up to $16,566 per year nationwide, or about $1,380 a month, on top of a monthly mortgage payment.
Here's how those costs break down for the typical U.S. homeowner:
- $11,171 on annual maintenance
- $2,266 on homeowners insurance
- $3,129 on property taxes
Over the past five years, homeowners insurance premiums have jumped 54%, maintenance costs have risen 32%, and property taxes have gone up 19%. But the pace is cooling. Overall, the cost of owning a home rose just 3% in the past year, compared with 32% over five years.
Maintenance shows the clearest slowdown. Yearly increases in maintenance costs have shrunk every year, from 9% in 2022 to 1% in 2026. Insurance may be following the same path. Federal data shows insurance premiums rose just 0.3% between February and June 2026, though they remain well above where they were five years ago.
The biggest jumps have been in a handful of metros. Insurance premiums are up at least 50% over five years in 19 of the 30 metros analyzed, led by Dallas (75%), Tampa (71%), Denver (70%) and Houston (69%). Miami homeowners pay the most, at nearly $5,000 a year. Six metros now top $3,000 a year: Miami, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Orlando and Denver. Homeowners in Houston, Phoenix, Denver and Nashville pay more each year for insurance than for property taxes. Severe weather, including hail, tornadoes and damaging winds, may be driving premium increases in storm-prone metros like Dallas and Denver.
Maintenance remains the largest hidden cost everywhere, at roughly two-thirds of the national total, and tops $12,000 in six major metros, including Seattle ($12,594) and Boston ($12,486). Los Angeles experienced the sharpest surge in maintenance expenses, jumping 27% year over year. This steep rise reflects a mix of regional factors, including wildfire-related recovery efforts, heightened demand for home services, and persistently elevated labor costs.
"Many households focus so much on winning the home and underestimate what it costs to live in it," said Zillow Senior Economist Kara Ng. "Long after they receive the keys, insurance, taxes and upkeep are recurring expenses to plan for. Since these homeownership costs vary so much by market, home shoppers should run the numbers and understand what they can truly afford before they make an offer."
The total hidden costs of homeownership are highest in coastal metros: $25,111 in New York, $24,383 in San Francisco, $22,915 in Los Angeles and $22,096 in Boston. Even in the least costly metro analyzed, Phoenix, hidden costs run $14,187 a year.
"The slowdown in maintenance cost growth is welcome news for homeowners managing a lot of competing expenses," said Kendra Sinclair, Thumbtack's home trends expert. "Planning for regular upkeep throughout the year can help prevent bigger repair bills and protect your savings when something unexpected happens."
Here are four tips for prospective buyers:
- Get an insurance quote before you make an offer. With premiums rising across the country, the cost of insuring a specific home can change what you can afford to pay for it.
- Know your true buying power. Start with BuyAbilitySM, a personalized affordability tool available on the Zillow app. It lets you set a target monthly payment, which can be adjusted to account for these costs.
- Plan for maintenance early. Maintenance is the biggest hidden cost in every metro analyzed. Thumbtack's free personalized maintenance guides, available on the Thumbtack app, help buyers anticipate upkeep and budget with confidence.
- Reconsider the type of home you buy. A large single-family home with a big yard often comes with higher maintenance costs. Townhomes and condos may offer less upkeep, while new construction is cheaper by the square foot and typically needs fewer repairs in the near term.
Crunching the numbers
For this analysis, Zillow estimated annual property tax and homeowners insurance costs for a typical U.S. homeowner in each metro, then compared year-over-year and five-year changes. Thumbtack provided estimates for annual home maintenance costs. Pricing data is based on projects requested on Thumbtack and reported directly by the independent service professional or individual customers. The cost is a weighted index of yearly home maintenance projects, based on recommended yearly frequency, calculated quarterly using a moving average.
Metro |
Hidden costs of |
Hidden costs, 1-year |
Hidden costs, 5-year |
United States |
$16,566 |
2.8 % |
31.7 % |
New York, NY |
$25,111 |
1.8 % |
13.8 % |
Los Angeles, CA |
$22,915 |
15.9 % |
42.5 % |
Chicago, IL |
$18,239 |
6.2 % |
19.8 % |
Dallas, TX |
$17,598 |
2.6 % |
18.1 % |
Houston, TX |
$16,529 |
3.4 % |
24.1 % |
Washington, DC |
$18,663 |
3.1 % |
30.6 % |
Philadelphia, PA |
$18,834 |
2.5 % |
31.7 % |
Miami, FL |
$20,861 |
1.1 % |
42.8 % |
Atlanta, GA |
$17,346 |
-2.5 % |
33.4 % |
Boston, MA |
$22,096 |
2.8 % |
27.1 % |
Phoenix, AZ |
$14,187 |
5.3 % |
34.2 % |
San Francisco, CA |
$24,383 |
3.4 % |
28.9 % |
Detroit, MI |
$16,186 |
3.7 % |
30.0 % |
Seattle, WA |
$21,354 |
-1.5 % |
28.1 % |
Minneapolis, MN |
$19,755 |
7.4 % |
41.3 % |
San Diego, CA |
$20,718 |
3.1 % |
32.9 % |
Tampa, FL |
$17,775 |
2.8 % |
44.4 % |
Denver, CO |
$17,659 |
6.6 % |
36.2 % |
Baltimore, MD |
$17,507 |
3.8 % |
35.3 % |
St. Louis, MO |
$15,809 |
3.2 % |
22.8 % |
Orlando, FL |
$17,327 |
3.6 % |
37.5 % |
Charlotte, NC |
$15,364 |
5.9 % |
33.2 % |
Portland, OR |
$19,656 |
6.4 % |
33.5 % |
Sacramento, CA |
$18,883 |
5.6 % |
33.0 % |
Pittsburgh, PA |
$15,619 |
3.0 % |
54.8 % |
Indianapolis, IN |
$15,680 |
3.4 % |
36.3 % |
Cleveland, OH |
$16,904 |
3.0 % |
32.2 % |
Nashville, TN |
$15,538 |
2.8 % |
29.4 % |
Raleigh, NC |
$16,181 |
0.1 % |
31.9 % |
Salt Lake City, UT |
$15,553 |
6.2 % |
35.5 % |
Table ordered by market size |
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About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people. As the most visited real estate app and website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates help people find and get the home they want by connecting them with digital solutions, dedicated real estate professionals, and easier buying, selling, financing, and renting experiences.
Zillow Group's affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans℠, Zillow Rentals®, Trulia®, Out East®, StreetEasy®, HotPads®, ShowingTime+℠, Spruce®, and Follow Up Boss®.
All Zillow Group marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). © 2026 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.
About Thumbtack
We're Thumbtack, a technology company helping millions of people confidently care for and improve their homes. Our homeowners get personalized guidance on what to do, when to do it, and who to hire from our growing community of 300,000 local service businesses. Every day in every county of the U.S., people turn to Thumbtack to complete small fixes, routine maintenance, and major improvements. With over 16 million 5-star projects and counting, we empower homeowners to take control and local businesses to grow. Accomplish more with Thumbtack.
SOURCE Zillow Group, Inc.; Thumbtack
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