Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Abilene, Kansas
A $136,000 home here costs
$1,278per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $699. The real number is $578 higher every month — 83% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Abilene against Dickinson County and Kansas
| Measure | Abilene | Dickinson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $136,000 | $148,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,180 | $2,123 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.603% | 1.430% |
| Median gross rent | $788 | $809 |
| Population | 6,449 | 18,423 |
The weather behind that power bill
Abilene sits in Dickinson County, which averages a high of 94.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.7°F in its coldest, with 34.28" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,803 cooling and 4,491 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dickinson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dickinson County
Full Dickinson County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Abilene?
A $136,000 home in Abilene, Kansas costs approximately $1,278 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $699 principal and interest, $182 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $113 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Abilene?
Abilene has an effective property tax rate of 1.603%, based on a median home value of $136,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,180. That is higher than the Dickinson County average of 1.430%.
What is the average home price in Abilene?
The median owner-occupied home value in Abilene, Kansas is $136,000, against $148,500 across Dickinson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Abilene?
Median gross rent in Abilene is $788 a month, against $1,278 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Abilene — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.