Mortgage WellCalifornia Mortgage Payment Calculator
Use this California mortgage payment calculator to estimate your full monthly housing cost — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, PMI, and HOA. California buyers face a few cost considerations that don't show up on a generic national calculator: Proposition 13's assessment cap, the supplemental property tax bill that arrives after purchase, possible Mello-Roos assessments in newer developments, and earthquake insurance as a separate policy. Adjust the inputs below to reflect your situation.
Mortgage Payment Estimate
Generated · Assumption set 2026-04-30
Estimated total monthly payment
$2,555.96/mo
Tax, insurance, and PMI values are estimates based on the assumptions you entered.
Monthly Payment Breakdown
- Principal & Interest$2,022.62
- Property Tax$416.67
- Homeowners Insurance$116.67
- Total$2,555.96
Balance over time
Show data table
| Year | Balance |
|---|---|
| 1 | $316,423.24 |
| 2 | $312,606.96 |
| 3 | $308,535.08 |
| 4 | $304,190.51 |
| 5 | $299,554.97 |
| 6 | $294,608.97 |
| 7 | $289,331.75 |
| 8 | $283,701.10 |
| 9 | $277,693.35 |
| 10 | $271,283.24 |
| 11 | $264,443.83 |
| 12 | $257,146.37 |
| 13 | $249,360.20 |
| 14 | $241,052.58 |
| 15 | $232,188.56 |
| 16 | $222,730.93 |
| 17 | $212,639.88 |
| 18 | $201,873.02 |
| 19 | $190,385.09 |
| 20 | $178,127.79 |
| 21 | $165,049.59 |
| 22 | $151,095.53 |
| 23 | $136,206.92 |
| 24 | $120,321.21 |
| 25 | $103,371.61 |
| 26 | $85,286.85 |
| 27 | $65,990.93 |
| 28 | $45,402.71 |
| 29 | $23,435.67 |
| 30 | $0.00 |
Amortization schedule
| Year | Principal | Interest | Extra | Balance | Toggle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $3,576.76 | $20,694.68 | $0.00 | $316,423.24 | |
| Year 2 | $3,816.28 | $20,455.16 | $0.00 | $312,606.96 | |
| Year 3 | $4,071.88 | $20,199.56 | $0.00 | $308,535.08 | |
| Year 4 | $4,344.57 | $19,926.87 | $0.00 | $304,190.51 | |
| Year 5 | $4,635.54 | $19,635.90 | $0.00 | $299,554.97 | |
| Year 6 | $4,946.00 | $19,325.44 | $0.00 | $294,608.97 | |
| Year 7 | $5,277.22 | $18,994.22 | $0.00 | $289,331.75 | |
| Year 8 | $5,630.65 | $18,640.79 | $0.00 | $283,701.10 | |
| Year 9 | $6,007.75 | $18,263.69 | $0.00 | $277,693.35 | |
| Year 10 | $6,410.11 | $17,861.33 | $0.00 | $271,283.24 | |
| Year 11 | $6,839.41 | $17,432.03 | $0.00 | $264,443.83 | |
| Year 12 | $7,297.46 | $16,973.98 | $0.00 | $257,146.37 | |
| Year 13 | $7,786.17 | $16,485.27 | $0.00 | $249,360.20 | |
| Year 14 | $8,307.62 | $15,963.82 | $0.00 | $241,052.58 | |
| Year 15 | $8,864.02 | $15,407.42 | $0.00 | $232,188.56 | |
| Year 16 | $9,457.63 | $14,813.81 | $0.00 | $222,730.93 | |
| Year 17 | $10,091.05 | $14,180.39 | $0.00 | $212,639.88 | |
| Year 18 | $10,766.86 | $13,504.58 | $0.00 | $201,873.02 | |
| Year 19 | $11,487.93 | $12,783.51 | $0.00 | $190,385.09 | |
| Year 20 | $12,257.30 | $12,014.14 | $0.00 | $178,127.79 | |
| Year 21 | $13,078.20 | $11,193.24 | $0.00 | $165,049.59 | |
| Year 22 | $13,954.06 | $10,317.38 | $0.00 | $151,095.53 | |
| Year 23 | $14,888.61 | $9,382.83 | $0.00 | $136,206.92 | |
| Year 24 | $15,885.71 | $8,385.73 | $0.00 | $120,321.21 | |
| Year 25 | $16,949.60 | $7,321.84 | $0.00 | $103,371.61 | |
| Year 26 | $18,084.76 | $6,186.68 | $0.00 | $85,286.85 | |
| Year 27 | $19,295.92 | $4,975.52 | $0.00 | $65,990.93 | |
| Year 28 | $20,588.22 | $3,683.22 | $0.00 | $45,402.71 | |
| Year 29 | $21,967.04 | $2,304.40 | $0.00 | $23,435.67 | |
| Year 30 | $23,435.67 | $833.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Assumptions used
Assumption set 2026-04-30
- Home price
- $400,000user input
- Down payment
- $80,000 (20.00%)user input
- Loan amount
- $320,000calculated
- Annual interest rate
- 6.50%user input
- Loan term
- 30 yearsuser input
- Annual property tax
- $5,000user input
- Annual homeowners insurance
- $1,400user input
- Monthly HOA
- $0user input
- Property tax rate
- 1.25%config
- Homeowners insurance rate
- 0.35%config
How to use this California mortgage calculator
Start with the home price you're considering and your planned down payment. For property tax, California base rates start at roughly 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, but your effective rate may be higher once school bonds, local levies, and any Mello-Roos special assessments are added — use the property tax % field to reflect your county and any community-specific assessments. Homeowners insurance in California is regulated by the state but does not typically include earthquake coverage, so plan for that separately if you want it. PMI applies when your down payment is below 20% and the calculator estimates it automatically.
Reviewed for calculation accuracy and clarity by the Mortgage Well Calculation Review Team ·
California mortgage payment example
A buyer purchasing a home in the Sacramento or San Diego metro with 20% down at the current market rate would see a principal-and-interest payment derived from the loan amount and term. On top of that, the calculator adds estimated property tax (under Proposition 13 the base rate is around 1% of assessed value plus local levies that vary by county), homeowners insurance (which can vary significantly by location and structure), and any HOA dues. Buyers in newer developments should also add any Mello-Roos special assessments separately. The exact figures depend on the county tax bill, your insurer's quote, and your community's HOA and special-assessment structure.
What affects mortgage payments in California?
Proposition 13 and property tax assessment
California's Proposition 13 caps the base property tax rate at 1% of assessed value and limits annual assessed-value increases to 2% — until ownership changes. When a property changes hands, it's reassessed to the new purchase price. New buyers should expect their property tax to be calculated from the purchase price rather than the previous owner's lower assessed value.
Supplemental property tax bills after purchase
California issues a supplemental property tax bill after most home purchases to reconcile the difference between the previous assessed value and the new acquisition value, prorated for the months in the year you owned the home. This is a one-time bill on top of the regular property tax — many first-time California buyers are surprised by it. Plan for it in your first-year cash flow.
Mello-Roos special tax assessments
Some newer California developments and master-planned communities are within a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD), which levies special tax assessments to fund infrastructure like schools, roads, and parks. These assessments are paid alongside your property tax bill but are not subject to Proposition 13's 1% cap. If you're buying in a recently developed area, check whether the community is within a CFD — your real estate disclosures should identify it.
Earthquake insurance is typically a separate policy
Standard homeowners insurance policies in California generally exclude earthquake damage. The California Earthquake Authority — a publicly managed, privately funded entity — offers earthquake insurance through participating insurers. Whether or not to buy it is a personal decision that depends on your fault-line proximity, structure type, and risk tolerance. If you do buy a CEA policy, factor its premium into your monthly housing cost separately from your homeowners insurance.
California mortgage payment FAQs
- Are California property taxes really capped at 1%?
- The Proposition 13 base rate is 1% of assessed value, but your effective property tax can be higher because counties layer voter-approved school bonds, infrastructure bonds, and other levies on top. The 2% annual cap on assessed-value increases also resets to the new purchase price when ownership changes — so a new buyer pays based on what they paid for the home, not what the previous owner was paying.
- What is a California supplemental property tax bill?
- It's a one-time tax bill California issues after purchase to capture the difference between the previous owner's assessed value (which was capped at +2%/year under Prop 13) and your purchase price, prorated for the months you owned the property in that tax year. It arrives separately from your regular property tax bill, sometimes 6–12 months after closing. Budget for it in your first-year cash flow.
- How do I know if my home is in a Mello-Roos district?
- Your purchase disclosures and the county recorder's office will indicate whether the property is within a Community Facilities District. Sellers are required to disclose Mello-Roos assessments. The annual Mello-Roos amount is typically listed on your property tax bill as a separate line item.
- Do I need earthquake insurance to get a California mortgage?
- Lenders generally do not require earthquake insurance to issue a mortgage in California. It's optional and almost always sold as a separate policy from your homeowners insurance. The California Earthquake Authority is one common source; private insurers also offer policies. Whether to buy it is a personal cost-vs.-risk decision.
Sources and references
Helpful consumer references used to explain assumptions on this page. These are educational pointers, not regulatory endorsement.
- California Legislative Analyst's Office — nonpartisan state agency publishing reference explainers on Proposition 13 and California property taxation
- California State Board of Equalization — official state authority on California property tax administration, including supplemental assessments
- California State Controller — state office that oversees property tax disbursements and reports on Mello-Roos community facilities district revenue
- California Department of Insurance — state regulator of homeowners insurance in California; consumer-facing reference for coverage rules and rate-filing oversight
- California Earthquake Authority — publicly managed, privately funded entity that provides earthquake insurance policies through participating insurers in California
Mortgage Payment Calculator in other states
State-specific pages we've published so far. More states ship as we add authored content.
Back to the national calculator
The state-aware copy on this page is layered on top of the same underlying calculator. Use the national version for situations that aren't state-specific or to compare scenarios across states.
Open the Mortgage Payment CalculatorEstimates only. This calculator is not a loan offer, loan approval, official Loan Estimate, Closing Disclosure, tax advice, legal advice, or financial advice. Actual payments, rates, taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, closing costs, and loan terms may vary. Contact a qualified lender, tax professional, or financial advisor for guidance.