Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Altoona, Pennsylvania
A $114,000 home here costs
$1,093per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $586. The real number is $507 higher every month — 87% 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 Blair County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Altoona | Blair County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $113,600 | $156,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,346 | $1,711 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.185% | 1.092% |
| Median gross rent | $789 | $854 |
| Population | 43,508 | 121,854 |
The weather behind that power bill
Altoona sits in Blair County, which averages a high of 82.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.3°F in its coldest, with 36.65" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 691 cooling and 5,764 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Blair County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Blair County
Full Blair County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Altoona?
A $114,000 home in Altoona, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,093 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $586 principal and interest, $113 property tax, $38 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $95 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Altoona?
Altoona has an effective property tax rate of 1.185%, based on a median home value of $113,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,346. That is higher than the Blair County average of 1.092%.
What is the average home price in Altoona?
The median owner-occupied home value in Altoona, Pennsylvania is $113,600, against $156,700 across Blair County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Altoona?
Median gross rent in Altoona is $789 a month, against $1,093 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 Pennsylvania.
- 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.