Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Alpena, Michigan
A $110,000 home here costs
$1,105per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $566. The real number is $539 higher every month — 95% 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.
Alpena against Alpena County and Michigan
| Measure | Alpena | Alpena County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $110,400 | $137,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,693 | $1,556 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.534% | 1.129% |
| Median gross rent | $599 | $660 |
| Population | 10,178 | 28,908 |
The weather behind that power bill
Alpena sits in Alpena County, which averages a high of 77.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 12.7°F in its coldest, with 31.94" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 336 cooling and 7,877 heating degree days, which is what sets the $198 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Alpena County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Alpena County
No other places of this size are published in Alpena County.
Full Alpena County cost breakdown · Every county in Michigan
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Alpena?
A $110,000 home in Alpena, Michigan costs approximately $1,105 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $566 principal and interest, $141 property tax, $41 homeowners insurance, $266 utilities and $92 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Alpena?
Alpena has an effective property tax rate of 1.534%, based on a median home value of $110,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,693. That is higher than the Alpena County average of 1.129%.
What is the average home price in Alpena?
The median owner-occupied home value in Alpena, Michigan is $110,400, against $137,800 across Alpena County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Alpena?
Median gross rent in Alpena is $599 a month, against $1,105 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 Alpena — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Michigan.
- 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.