Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Berwick, Pennsylvania
A $135,000 home here costs
$1,256per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $694. The real number is $562 higher every month — 81% 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.
Berwick against Columbia County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Berwick | Columbia County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $135,000 | $199,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,715 | $2,266 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.270% | 1.138% |
| Median gross rent | $788 | $904 |
| Population | 10,291 | 65,055 |
The weather behind that power bill
Berwick sits in Columbia County, which averages a high of 80.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.2°F in its coldest, with 48.42" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 406 cooling and 6,703 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Columbia County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Columbia County
Full Columbia County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Berwick?
A $135,000 home in Berwick, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,256 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $694 principal and interest, $143 property tax, $45 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $113 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Berwick?
Berwick has an effective property tax rate of 1.270%, based on a median home value of $135,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,715. That is higher than the Columbia County average of 1.138%.
What is the average home price in Berwick?
The median owner-occupied home value in Berwick, Pennsylvania is $135,000, against $199,200 across Columbia County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Berwick?
Median gross rent in Berwick is $788 a month, against $1,256 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 Berwick — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.