Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bolivar, Missouri
A $189,000 home here costs
$1,504per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $972. The real number is $532 higher every month — 55% 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.
Bolivar against Polk County and Missouri
| Measure | Bolivar | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $188,700 | $189,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,024 | $1,101 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.543% | 0.581% |
| Median gross rent | $833 | $792 |
| Population | 10,996 | 32,109 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bolivar sits in Polk County, which averages a high of 89.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.7°F in its coldest, with 46.38" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,366 cooling and 4,630 heating degree days, which is what sets the $123 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Polk County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Polk County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bolivar?
A $189,000 home in Bolivar, Missouri costs approximately $1,504 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $972 principal and interest, $86 property tax, $98 homeowners insurance, $191 utilities and $158 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bolivar?
Bolivar has an effective property tax rate of 0.543%, based on a median home value of $188,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,024. That is lower than the Polk County average of 0.581%.
What is the average home price in Bolivar?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bolivar, Missouri is $188,700, against $189,600 across Polk County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bolivar?
Median gross rent in Bolivar is $833 a month, against $1,504 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 Bolivar — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Missouri.
- 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.