Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Brilliant, Alabama
A $55,000 home here costs
$607per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $283. The real number is $324 higher every month — 115% 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.
Brilliant against Marion County and Alabama
| Measure | Brilliant | Marion County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $55,200 | $104,300 |
| Median property tax | $268 | $308 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.486% | 0.295% |
| Median gross rent | $445 | $583 |
| Population | 1,078 | 29,190 |
The weather behind that power bill
Brilliant sits in Marion County, which averages a high of 91.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 61.71" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,782 cooling and 3,303 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Marion County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Marion County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Brilliant?
A $55,000 home in Brilliant, Alabama costs approximately $607 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $283 principal and interest, $22 property tax, $38 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $46 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Brilliant?
Brilliant has an effective property tax rate of 0.486%, based on a median home value of $55,200 and median real estate taxes of $268. That is higher than the Marion County average of 0.295%.
What is the average home price in Brilliant?
The median owner-occupied home value in Brilliant, Alabama is $55,200, against $104,300 across Marion County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Brilliant?
Median gross rent in Brilliant is $445 a month, against $607 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 Brilliant — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- 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.