Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bluffton, Indiana
A $137,000 home here costs
$1,172per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $704. The real number is $468 higher every month — 66% 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.
Bluffton against Wells County and Indiana
| Measure | Bluffton | Wells County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $136,800 | $180,000 |
| Median property tax | $767 | $920 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.561% | 0.511% |
| Median gross rent | $816 | $837 |
| Population | 10,539 | 28,261 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bluffton sits in Wells County, which averages a high of 82.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.2°F in its coldest, with 40.03" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 798 cooling and 6,184 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wells County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wells County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bluffton?
A $137,000 home in Bluffton, Indiana costs approximately $1,172 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $704 principal and interest, $64 property tax, $58 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $114 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bluffton?
Bluffton has an effective property tax rate of 0.561%, based on a median home value of $136,800 and median real estate taxes of $767. That is higher than the Wells County average of 0.511%.
What is the average home price in Bluffton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bluffton, Indiana is $136,800, against $180,000 across Wells County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bluffton?
Median gross rent in Bluffton is $816 a month, against $1,172 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 Bluffton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- 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.