Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bright, Indiana
A $247,000 home here costs
$1,969per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,270. The real number is $699 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.
Bright against Dearborn County and Indiana
| Measure | Bright | Dearborn County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,600 | $227,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,880 | $1,726 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.762% | 0.760% |
| Median gross rent | $834 | $848 |
| Population | 5,735 | 50,828 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bright sits in Dearborn County, which averages a high of 86.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.1°F in its coldest, with 45.26" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,160 cooling and 4,892 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dearborn County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dearborn County
Full Dearborn County cost breakdown · Every county in Indiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bright?
A $247,000 home in Bright, Indiana costs approximately $1,969 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,270 principal and interest, $157 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $206 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bright?
Bright has an effective property tax rate of 0.762%, based on a median home value of $246,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,880. That is in line with the Dearborn County average of 0.760%.
What is the average home price in Bright?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bright, Indiana is $246,600, against $227,100 across Dearborn County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bright?
Median gross rent in Bright is $834 a month, against $1,969 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 Bright — 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.