Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bells, Tennessee
A $164,000 home here costs
$1,430per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.24% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $61,500 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $894. The real number is $535 higher every month, 60% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Crockett County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Small-place caveat: the Census publishes these figures for Bells from a five-year rolling sample, and with about 2,531 residents that sample is small. The median home value here carries a much wider margin of error than a big-city figure does, so treat it as indicative rather than exact. The Crockett County figures are drawn from a far larger sample if you want a steadier number.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bells against Crockett County and Tennessee
| Measure | Bells | Crockett County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,000 | $134,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,283 | $865 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.782% | 0.645% |
| Median gross rent | $1,014 | $854 |
| Population | 2,531 | 13,937 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bells sits in Crockett County, which averages a high of 88.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.1°F in its coldest, with 53.6" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,680 cooling and 3,652 heating degree days, which is what sets the $155 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Crockett County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Crockett County
Full Crockett County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Bells averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Bells every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bells?
A $164,000 home in Bells, Tennessee costs approximately $1,430 per month with 20% down at 7.24%. That is $894 principal and interest, $107 property tax, $69 homeowners insurance, $223 utilities and $137 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bells?
Bells has an effective property tax rate of 0.782%, based on a median home value of $164,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,283. That is higher than the Crockett County average of 0.645%.
What is the average home price in Bells?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bells, Tennessee is $164,000, against $134,100 across Crockett County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bells?
Median gross rent in Bells is $1,014 a month, against $1,430 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Bells?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Bells, Tennessee at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $61,500 a year. That covers the full $1,430 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bells, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for Tennessee.
- 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.