Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Aurora, South Dakota
A $219,000 home here costs
$1,850per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,126. The real number is $725 higher every month — 64% 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.
Aurora against Brookings County and South Dakota
| Measure | Aurora | Brookings County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $219,100 | $246,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,789 | $2,795 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.273% | 1.135% |
| Median gross rent | $829 | $874 |
| Population | 1,407 | 34,968 |
The weather behind that power bill
Aurora sits in Brookings County, which averages a high of 81.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 3.5°F in its coldest, with 25.21" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 524 cooling and 8,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $141 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Brookings County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Brookings County
Full Brookings County cost breakdown · Every county in South Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Aurora?
A $219,000 home in Aurora, South Dakota costs approximately $1,850 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,126 principal and interest, $232 property tax, $100 homeowners insurance, $209 utilities and $183 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Aurora?
Aurora has an effective property tax rate of 1.273%, based on a median home value of $219,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,789. That is higher than the Brookings County average of 1.135%.
What is the average home price in Aurora?
The median owner-occupied home value in Aurora, South Dakota is $219,100, against $246,300 across Brookings County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Aurora?
Median gross rent in Aurora is $829 a month, against $1,850 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 Aurora — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Dakota.
- 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.