Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Benson, Minnesota
A $146,000 home here costs
$1,269per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $751. The real number is $518 higher every month — 69% 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.
Benson against Swift County and Minnesota
| Measure | Benson | Swift County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $146,100 | $147,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,354 | $1,258 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.927% | 0.855% |
| Median gross rent | $939 | $900 |
| Population | 3,449 | 9,787 |
The weather behind that power bill
Benson sits in Swift County, which averages a high of 83.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 0.8°F in its coldest, with 28.11" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 643 cooling and 8,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Swift County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Swift County
Full Swift County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Benson?
A $146,000 home in Benson, Minnesota costs approximately $1,269 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $751 principal and interest, $113 property tax, $63 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $122 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Benson?
Benson has an effective property tax rate of 0.927%, based on a median home value of $146,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,354. That is higher than the Swift County average of 0.855%.
What is the average home price in Benson?
The median owner-occupied home value in Benson, Minnesota is $146,100, against $147,100 across Swift County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Benson?
Median gross rent in Benson is $939 a month, against $1,269 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 Benson — 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.