The financial burden of owning a home in the United States extends far beyond the monthly mortgage payment, with routine maintenance, property taxes, and insurance adding an average of $16,566 per year, according to a new report released by Zillow and Thumbtack.
Calculated at roughly $1,380 a month, these supplementary expenses have surged by nearly one-third over the past five years. Overall homeownership costs increased by 3% over the past year alone, contributing to a 32% cumulative rise across the five-year period.
“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 breakdown of the $16,566 annual total indicates that property upkeep represents the largest share of the burden. Typical U.S. homeowners spend about $11,171 annually on maintenance, alongside $3,129 for property taxes and $2,266 for homeowners insurance.
Among the three major expense categories, homeowners insurance experienced the most dramatic escalation, with premiums leaping 54% over the last five years. Maintenance costs followed as the second-fastest-growing expense, increasing 32% during the same timeframe, while property taxes grew by 19%.
Geographic disparities in these increases are pronounced, particularly for insurance. Premiums have jumped by at least 50% over the five-year span in 19 of the 30 metropolitan areas analyzed in the report. The steepest insurance hikes were recorded in Dallas at 75%, Tampa at 71%, Denver at 70%, and Houston at 69%. Analysts attribute these regional spikes partly to severe weather events, including hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds.
While maintenance makes up about two-thirds of the national total for hidden homeownership costs—surpassing $12,000 annually in six major metro areas including Seattle at $12,594 and Boston at $12,486—the pace of maintenance increases is beginning to moderate. Annual increases in maintenance costs slowed across each of the last five years, dropping from 9% in 2022 to 1% in 2026. Insurance premiums are exhibiting a similar stabilization pattern, rising just 0.3% between February and June 2026.
“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.”
Despite the national cooling trend in upkeep expenses, certain markets experienced acute surges. Los Angeles registered the sharpest year-over-year uptick in maintenance expenses, climbing 27%. The analysis links the jump in Los Angeles to a combination of regional factors, including wildfire-related recovery efforts, heightened demand for home services, and persistently elevated labor costs.
