Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Altoona, Alabama
A $138,000 home here costs
$1,168per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $709. The real number is $458 higher every month — 65% 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.
Altoona against Etowah County and Alabama
| Measure | Altoona | Etowah County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $137,500 | $160,600 |
| Median property tax | $360 | $585 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.262% | 0.364% |
| Median gross rent | $389 | $807 |
| Population | 1,211 | 103,208 |
Altoona extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Etowah County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Altoona sits in Etowah County, which averages a high of 90.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.8°F in its coldest, with 57.64" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,018 cooling and 2,782 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Etowah County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Etowah County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Altoona?
A $138,000 home in Altoona, Alabama costs approximately $1,168 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $709 principal and interest, $30 property tax, $94 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $115 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Altoona?
Altoona has an effective property tax rate of 0.262%, based on a median home value of $137,500 and median real estate taxes of $360. That is lower than the Etowah County average of 0.364%.
What is the average home price in Altoona?
The median owner-occupied home value in Altoona, Alabama is $137,500, against $160,600 across Etowah County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Altoona?
Median gross rent in Altoona is $389 a month, against $1,168 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 Altoona — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- 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.