Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Atwater, Minnesota
A $144,000 home here costs
$1,280per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $740. The real number is $540 higher every month — 73% 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.
Atwater against Kandiyohi County and Minnesota
| Measure | Atwater | Kandiyohi County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,300 | $230,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,644 | $2,291 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.139% | 0.994% |
| Median gross rent | $736 | $843 |
| Population | 1,217 | 43,757 |
The weather behind that power bill
Atwater sits in Kandiyohi County, which averages a high of 81.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 2.9°F in its coldest, with 28.67" of precipitation a year and 44% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 596 cooling and 8,309 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kandiyohi County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kandiyohi County
Full Kandiyohi County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Atwater?
A $144,000 home in Atwater, Minnesota costs approximately $1,280 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $740 principal and interest, $137 property tax, $63 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $120 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Atwater?
Atwater has an effective property tax rate of 1.139%, based on a median home value of $144,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,644. That is higher than the Kandiyohi County average of 0.994%.
What is the average home price in Atwater?
The median owner-occupied home value in Atwater, Minnesota is $144,300, against $230,500 across Kandiyohi County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Atwater?
Median gross rent in Atwater is $736 a month, against $1,280 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 Atwater — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.