Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Athena, Oregon
A $197,000 home here costs
$1,598per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,013. The real number is $585 higher every month — 58% 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.
Athena against Umatilla County and Oregon
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $196,700 | $256,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,140 | $2,534 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.088% | 0.989% |
| Median gross rent | $868 | $962 |
| Population | 1,206 | 80,087 |
The weather behind that power bill
Athena sits in Umatilla County, which averages a high of 89.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.5°F in its coldest, with 12.83" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 636 cooling and 5,340 heating degree days, which is what sets the $146 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Umatilla County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Umatilla County
Full Umatilla County cost breakdown · Every county in Oregon
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Athena?
A $197,000 home in Athena, Oregon costs approximately $1,598 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,013 principal and interest, $179 property tax, $28 homeowners insurance, $214 utilities and $164 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Athena?
Athena has an effective property tax rate of 1.088%, based on a median home value of $196,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,140. That is higher than the Umatilla County average of 0.989%.
What is the average home price in Athena?
The median owner-occupied home value in Athena, Oregon is $196,700, against $256,100 across Umatilla County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Athena?
Median gross rent in Athena is $868 a month, against $1,598 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 Athena — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Oregon.
- 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.