Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Athens, Illinois
A $164,000 home here costs
$1,579per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $843. The real number is $736 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.
Athens against Menard County and Illinois
| Measure | Athens | Menard County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,200 | $179,300 |
| Median property tax | $3,032 | $2,936 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.847% | 1.637% |
| Median gross rent | $893 | $780 |
| Population | 2,146 | 12,169 |
The weather behind that power bill
Athens sits in Menard County, which averages a high of 85.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.3°F in its coldest, with 37.65" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,056 cooling and 5,644 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Menard County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Menard County
Full Menard County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Athens?
A $164,000 home in Athens, Illinois costs approximately $1,579 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $843 principal and interest, $252 property tax, $64 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $137 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Athens?
Athens has an effective property tax rate of 1.847%, based on a median home value of $164,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,032. That is higher than the Menard County average of 1.637%.
What is the average home price in Athens?
The median owner-occupied home value in Athens, Illinois is $164,200, against $179,300 across Menard County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Athens?
Median gross rent in Athens is $893 a month, against $1,579 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 Athens — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Illinois.
- 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.