Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Big Stone Gap, Virginia
A $170,000 home here costs
$1,374per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $874. The real number is $500 higher every month — 57% 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.
Big Stone Gap against Wise County and Virginia
| Measure | Big Stone Gap | Wise County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,900 | $116,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,079 | $658 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.635% | 0.565% |
| Median gross rent | $823 | $770 |
| Population | 5,193 | 35,727 |
The weather behind that power bill
Big Stone Gap sits in Wise County, which averages a high of 80.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 24.6°F in its coldest, with 51.63" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 587 cooling and 4,797 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wise County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wise County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Big Stone Gap?
A $170,000 home in Big Stone Gap, Virginia costs approximately $1,374 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $874 principal and interest, $90 property tax, $42 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $142 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Big Stone Gap?
Big Stone Gap has an effective property tax rate of 0.635%, based on a median home value of $169,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,079. That is higher than the Wise County average of 0.565%.
What is the average home price in Big Stone Gap?
The median owner-occupied home value in Big Stone Gap, Virginia is $169,900, against $116,500 across Wise County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Big Stone Gap?
Median gross rent in Big Stone Gap is $823 a month, against $1,374 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 Big Stone Gap — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- 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.