Shop Surprise homes by monthly payment: what each budget covers
Surprise's median owner cost is $1,860 a month and median taxes about $154. Start from the payment you want and see homes whose estimate fits. MABLS shows each home's payment from its real property tax and HOA data plus an insurance estimate.
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What does a monthly payment buy in Surprise, AZ?
Quick answer: The Census median owner cost with a mortgage in Surprise is $1,860, and median taxes run about $154 a month. Tax areas alone differ by $569 a year on $400,000 of limited value. Compare each home's own estimate; estimates are not a loan offer.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Surprise city, Arizona (ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates; retrieved September 25, 2026). Last updated .
The homes behind Surprise's payments
Housing here is young: the median home was built in 2005 and 75% of units are from 2000 or later, against 3% from before 1980. Measured by how far apart its tax areas sit, Surprise ranks 10th of 14 Maricopa County cities on this site, at $142 a year per $100,000 of limited value; Phoenix is at the top of that list and Chandler at the bottom.
The population estimate for Surprise rose 22.5% between the 2020 Census and 2025, 7th-highest of 37 places for population growth, so check each home's own tax area and dues instead of assuming the city median applies. On owner costs, Surprise ($1,860) lands between neighbors Glendale ($1,705) and Litchfield Park ($2,449); on monthly taxes the three read $134, $154 and $192 in that order. Renting costs more than owning with a mortgage here: median gross rent is $2,033 against $1,860 in owner costs, a $173 monthly gap.
Same price, different payment in Surprise
On a home with $400,000 of limited property value (assessed at 10%), the Surprise tax areas in Maricopa County's 2026 table (5.68 to 7.10 per $100 of assessed value) come to about $2,272 to $2,841 a year, a gap of $569 between two homes at the same price, or about $47 a month.
| Tax area code | Total residential rate per $100 assessed | Per year, per $100,000 limited value |
|---|---|---|
| 091500 | 5.68 | $568 |
| 811500 | 6.53 | $653 |
| 111500 | 6.70 | $670 |
| 891500 | 7.10 | $710 |
Source: Maricopa County, 2026 Tax Rates; each row is one Surprise tax area, residential primary plus secondary rate.
What each monthly budget covers in Surprise
Census median monthly owner cost for Surprise homeowners with a mortgage: $1,860, 17th-highest of 39 places (ACS 2020–2024). Only the $1,500 budget sits below the Surprise median; the other four ($2,000 and up) are above it. Median real estate taxes come to about $154 a month, 8% of that owner-cost median.
| Budget | Vs. $1,860 median | Tax share | Left after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,500/mo | $360 below | 10% | $1,346 |
| $2,000/mo | $140 above | 8% | $1,846 |
| $2,500/mo | $640 above | 6% | $2,346 |
| $3,000/mo | $1,140 above | 5% | $2,846 |
| $4,000/mo | $2,140 above | 4% | $3,846 |
What is left must still cover principal and interest, insurance and dues. Medians include long-time owners, so this is not a quote.
How owner costs are spread in Surprise
The most common owner-cost band in Surprise is $1,500 to $1,999, at 31% of 30,621 mortgage holders; 28% pay less and 42% pay $2,000 or more. On value, 57% of owner-occupied homes sit between $300,000 and $499,999, with 15% below that range and 28% above.
| Under $1,500 | $1,500 to $1,999 | $2,000 to $2,499 | $2,500 to $2,999 | $3,000 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28% | 31% | 22% | 10% | 9% |
Share of owners with a mortgage by monthly owner costs, Census ACS 2020–2024 (B25087, B25075).
Home sizes behind Surprise payments
Among Surprise's 44,683 owner-occupied homes, 24% have two or fewer bedrooms, 39% have three and 37% have four or more.
Places with owner costs closest to Surprise's
| Place | Owner costs | Taxes a month | Vs. Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surprise | $1,860 | $154 | this page |
| Prescott | $1,867 | $157 | above Surprise by $7 |
| Maricopa | $1,849 | $183 | below Surprise by $11 |
| Phoenix | $1,847 | $154 | below Surprise by $13 |
| Mesa | $1,843 | $134 | below Surprise by $17 |
Census ACS 2020–2024 (B25088, B25103). Monthly taxes = annual median ÷ 12.
More on Surprise: homes for sale and the city overview.
Data as of October 10, 2026. Figures are cited to the public sources listed below. General information for Arizona home shoppers, not a loan offer, rate quote, or commitment to lend.
See Surprise homes by the payment you want
Search with each home's own property taxes, HOA dues, and insurance built into the estimate. We never sell your information.
Create your free account to see all homes for sale that fit the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its actual property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own estimated closing costs and APR disclosure.
Opens the MABLS home search. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote. Your actual payment depends on price, down payment, credit, taxes, insurance, HOA, and loan program.
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Surprise overview · Homes for sale in Surprise · Homes by monthly budget · Property tax by city
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Surprise city, Arizona (ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates; population estimate V2025; retrieved September 25, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: B25077 (median home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes paid), B25088 (median owner costs with a mortgage), B08013/B08303 (mean travel time to work), B25003 (owner-occupied share), B01003 (population) (retrieved October 4, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, housing tables B25001, B25004, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25042 (via the Census Reporter API) (retrieved October 10, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, B25087 (selected monthly owner costs, housing units with a mortgage) and B25075 (value of owner-occupied homes) (retrieved October 10, 2026)
- Maricopa County, 2026 Tax Rates (rates per $100 of assessed value by tax area, school, city, fire, and special districts) (tax year 2026; retrieved October 4, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the median monthly property tax for homeowners in Surprise?
About $154 a month, from a Census median of $1,842 a year (ACS 2020–2024).
Why can two Surprise homes at the same price have different payments?
Tax areas and dues differ. Maricopa County's 2026 table lists 4 residential areas for Surprise (5.68 to 7.10 per $100 of assessed value), a gap of $569 a year on $400,000 of limited value.
How does Surprise compare with Prescott on owner costs?
Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage are $1,860 in Surprise and $1,867 in Prescott (ACS 2020–2024), a difference of $7. Median monthly taxes are $154 and $157.