Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
A $232,000 home here costs
$1,967per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,193. The real number is $775 higher every month — 65% 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.
Bay St. Louis against Hancock County and Mississippi
| Measure | Bay St. Louis | Hancock County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $231,900 | $206,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,893 | $1,485 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.816% | 0.719% |
| Median gross rent | $1,138 | $999 |
| Population | 9,971 | 46,057 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bay St. Louis sits in Hancock County, which averages a high of 88.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.8°F in its coldest, with 64.01" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,140 cooling and 1,911 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hancock County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hancock County
Full Hancock County cost breakdown · Every county in Mississippi
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bay St. Louis?
A $232,000 home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi costs approximately $1,967 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,193 principal and interest, $158 property tax, $210 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $193 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bay St. Louis?
Bay St. Louis has an effective property tax rate of 0.816%, based on a median home value of $231,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,893. That is higher than the Hancock County average of 0.719%.
What is the average home price in Bay St. Louis?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi is $231,900, against $206,600 across Hancock County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bay St. Louis?
Median gross rent in Bay St. Louis is $1,138 a month, against $1,967 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 Bay St. Louis — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Mississippi.
- 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.