Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Atlantic, Iowa
A $135,000 home here costs
$1,260per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $694. The real number is $566 higher every month — 82% 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.
Atlantic against Cass County and Iowa
| Measure | Atlantic | Cass County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $134,900 | $133,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,399 | $1,904 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.778% | 1.428% |
| Median gross rent | $750 | $769 |
| Population | 6,773 | 13,115 |
The weather behind that power bill
Atlantic sits in Cass County, which averages a high of 86.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 9.9°F in its coldest, with 37.14" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 940 cooling and 6,638 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cass County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cass County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Atlantic?
A $135,000 home in Atlantic, Iowa costs approximately $1,260 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $694 principal and interest, $200 property tax, $59 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $113 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Atlantic?
Atlantic has an effective property tax rate of 1.778%, based on a median home value of $134,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,399. That is higher than the Cass County average of 1.428%.
What is the average home price in Atlantic?
The median owner-occupied home value in Atlantic, Iowa is $134,900, against $133,300 across Cass County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Atlantic?
Median gross rent in Atlantic is $750 a month, against $1,260 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 Atlantic — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.