District of Columbia mortgage calculator
Prefilled with District of Columbia’s numbers, not national averages. The effective property tax rate here is 0.57% and the average homeowners premium is about $1,500 a year. Both are already in the calculator below.
District of Columbia mortgage calculator
Principal and interest schedule
Tax and insurance are collected alongside the loan but are not part of it, so they are excluded here.
What District of Columbia actually costs a homeowner
A generous homestead deduction plus a cap on annual taxable increases keeps the effective rate low despite very high values.
On the state median home value of $715,500, the property tax bill works out at roughly $4,078 a year, or $340 a month before anything else. That is below the national effective rate of 0.86% — 0.7 times the US average.
Insurance is the other half of the escrow payment. At about $1,500 a year, District of Columbia sits below the national average of roughly $2,400. Together, tax and insurance add around $465 a month to the loan payment on a median-priced home here.
Why your bill will differ
The figure above is a state average, and property tax is set locally. Two houses of the same value in different counties of District of Columbia can carry bills that differ by thousands. Check your county assessor before treating any estimate as final, and check whether a homestead exemption applies to you — in most states it does, and in several it is substantial.
A low rate, which is not the same as a low bill
At 0.57% District of Columbia has one of the lowest effective rates in the country. Whether that translates into a small bill depends entirely on value: the state median of $715,500 produces about $4,078 a year, but the same rate on a $1,431,000 home is $8,157. Rate rankings flatter states with expensive housing.
Insurance is cheap here, and that matters
About $1,500 a year against a national average near $2,400. On a median-priced home that is roughly $75 a month less than a buyer in a coastal state pays for identical coverage — worth about $11,538 of additional borrowing power at current rates.
The tax bill dwarfs the premium
Property tax here runs about $4,078 a year against roughly $1,500 for insurance — 2.7 times as much. That makes the assessment the number worth contesting. Most jurisdictions allow an appeal within a short window after the notice, and a successful one compounds every year you own the house.
Stepping up from the median
At $1,070,000 — about half again the District of Columbia median — the annual tax becomes $6,099 and the escrow portion of the payment rises to roughly $633 a month. With 20% down at 6.5% over thirty years, the all-in payment is about $6,044.
High values change the arithmetic
The median home here is $715,500, well above the national figure. A 20% deposit is $143,100, and every tenth of a point on the rate costs about $48 a month more than it would on a median US home. Rate shopping is worth proportionally more in expensive markets.
Comparison with neighbouring states
District of Columbia and its neighbours
| State | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 0.57% | $715,500 | $4,078 |
| Arkansas | 0.57% | $162,300 | $925 |
| Delaware | 0.57% | $318,700 | $1,817 |
| Wyoming | 0.57% | $272,500 | $1,553 |
| Louisiana | 0.55% | $198,300 | $1,091 |
Effective rate is median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. Insurance figures are broad state averages and move quickly, especially on the Gulf coast. Both are estimates for orientation, not quotes.
Tax and insurance by price in District of Columbia
| Home price | Annual tax | Tax / mo | Insurance / mo | Escrow / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $855 | $71 | $125 | $196 |
| $250,000 | $1,425 | $119 | $125 | $244 |
| $350,000 | $1,995 | $166 | $125 | $291 |
| $500,000 | $2,850 | $238 | $125 | $362 |
| $750,000 | $4,275 | $356 | $125 | $481 |
Property tax at the District of Columbia effective rate of 0.57%. Insurance held at the state average, which understates it on larger homes.
Guides that explain this
Written with the same engine, so every figure agrees with the calculator.
The first-time buyer's mortgage guideWhat lenders really check, how much deposit you need, every closing cost itemised, and why your payment jumps in year two.12 min read
APR vs interest rate: what actually separates themWhat separates APR from the interest rate, which fees are included, and why APR quietly flatters a loan you will not keep for its full term.8 min read
How your credit score sets your interest rateWhat a credit score is built from, how score bands translate into real rate differences and dollars, and which actions move a score quickly versus slowly.10 min read
Questions people actually ask
What is the property tax rate in District of Columbia?
The effective rate is about 0.57%, measured as median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. On the state median home value of $715,500 that is roughly $4,078 a year. Local rates vary considerably within the state.
How much is homeowners insurance in District of Columbia?
The state average runs around $1,500 a year, below the national average of roughly $2,400. Premiums vary widely by construction, claims history and distance from the coast.
What is the monthly payment on a median-priced home in District of Columbia?
With 20% down on the $715,500 median value at 6.5% over 30 years, principal and interest come to about $3,619 a month, plus roughly $465 for tax and insurance.