Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Brewer, Maine
A $218,000 home here costs
$1,964per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,121. The real number is $843 higher every month — 75% 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.
Brewer against Penobscot County and Maine
| Measure | Brewer | Penobscot County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $218,100 | $193,800 |
| Median property tax | $3,253 | $2,435 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.492% | 1.256% |
| Median gross rent | $984 | $997 |
| Population | 9,654 | 153,571 |
The weather behind that power bill
Brewer sits in Penobscot County, which averages a high of 79.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 3.4°F in its coldest, with 44.27" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 337 cooling and 8,272 heating degree days, which is what sets the $257 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Penobscot County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Penobscot County
Full Penobscot County cost breakdown · Every county in Maine
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Brewer?
A $218,000 home in Brewer, Maine costs approximately $1,964 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,121 principal and interest, $271 property tax, $65 homeowners insurance, $325 utilities and $182 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Brewer?
Brewer has an effective property tax rate of 1.492%, based on a median home value of $218,100 and median real estate taxes of $3,253. That is higher than the Penobscot County average of 1.256%.
What is the average home price in Brewer?
The median owner-occupied home value in Brewer, Maine is $218,100, against $193,800 across Penobscot County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Brewer?
Median gross rent in Brewer is $984 a month, against $1,964 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 Brewer — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Maine.
- 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.