Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Birchwood Lakes, Pennsylvania
A $172,000 home here costs
$1,581per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $884. The real number is $696 higher every month — 79% 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.
Birchwood Lakes against Pike County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Birchwood Lakes | Pike County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $171,900 | $250,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,806 | $3,502 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.632% | 1.396% |
| Median gross rent | $1,401 | $1,383 |
| Population | 1,255 | 59,691 |
The weather behind that power bill
Birchwood Lakes sits in Pike County, which averages a high of 77.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.1°F in its coldest, with 50.22" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 289 cooling and 7,247 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pike County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pike County
Full Pike County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Birchwood Lakes?
A $172,000 home in Birchwood Lakes, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,581 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $884 principal and interest, $234 property tax, $57 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $143 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Birchwood Lakes?
Birchwood Lakes has an effective property tax rate of 1.632%, based on a median home value of $171,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,806. That is higher than the Pike County average of 1.396%.
What is the average home price in Birchwood Lakes?
The median owner-occupied home value in Birchwood Lakes, Pennsylvania is $171,900, against $250,900 across Pike County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Birchwood Lakes?
Median gross rent in Birchwood Lakes is $1,401 a month, against $1,581 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 Birchwood Lakes — 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.