Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Blue Grass, Iowa
A $202,000 home here costs
$1,734per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,038. The real number is $695 higher every month — 67% 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.
Blue Grass against Scott County and Iowa
| Measure | Blue Grass | Scott County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $202,400 | $212,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,930 | $3,221 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.448% | 1.516% |
| Median gross rent | $1,158 | $958 |
| Population | 1,867 | 174,302 |
Blue Grass extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Scott County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Blue Grass sits in Scott County, which averages a high of 83.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 14.0°F in its coldest, with 36.17" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 879 cooling and 6,326 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Scott County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Scott County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Blue Grass?
A $202,000 home in Blue Grass, Iowa costs approximately $1,734 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,038 principal and interest, $244 property tax, $88 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $168 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Blue Grass?
Blue Grass has an effective property tax rate of 1.448%, based on a median home value of $202,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,930. That is lower than the Scott County average of 1.516%.
What is the average home price in Blue Grass?
The median owner-occupied home value in Blue Grass, Iowa is $202,400, against $212,500 across Scott County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Blue Grass?
Median gross rent in Blue Grass is $1,158 a month, against $1,734 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 Blue Grass — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.