Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Brainerd, Minnesota
A $179,000 home here costs
$1,523per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $920. The real number is $603 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.
Brainerd against Crow Wing County and Minnesota
| Measure | Brainerd | Crow Wing County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $178,600 | $274,400 |
| Median property tax | $1,865 | $2,161 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.044% | 0.788% |
| Median gross rent | $848 | $962 |
| Population | 14,474 | 67,113 |
The weather behind that power bill
Brainerd sits in Crow Wing County, which averages a high of 81.5°F in its hottest month and a low of -0.1°F in its coldest, with 24.53" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 413 cooling and 8,695 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Crow Wing County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Crow Wing County
Full Crow Wing County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Brainerd?
A $179,000 home in Brainerd, Minnesota costs approximately $1,523 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $920 principal and interest, $156 property tax, $78 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $149 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Brainerd?
Brainerd has an effective property tax rate of 1.044%, based on a median home value of $178,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,865. That is higher than the Crow Wing County average of 0.788%.
What is the average home price in Brainerd?
The median owner-occupied home value in Brainerd, Minnesota is $178,600, against $274,400 across Crow Wing County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Brainerd?
Median gross rent in Brainerd is $848 a month, against $1,523 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 Brainerd — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.