Boston is the hub of housing costs

The only thing worse than renting in Boston might be owning in Boston.

Never mind the high cost of real estate. Once you’ve taken care of the mortgage, the other expenses aren’t cheap, either. The metro area is one of the most expensive in the United States to own a home, according to a report from the real estate data company Zillow. The median for homeowners’ basic expenses was $9,400 a year — and depending on how much the homeowner spends on maintenance, that cost could be more than $13,000.

Unavoidable costs like property taxes, utilities, and homeowner insurance alone amount to $9,413 a year. More than half the total was for property taxes, while utility costs — including electricity, gas, television, phone, and Internet service — add up to more than $3,400 a year.