Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bristol, Indiana
A $203,000 home here costs
$1,668per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,044. The real number is $625 higher every month — 60% 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.
Bristol against Elkhart County and Indiana
| Measure | Bristol | Elkhart County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $202,900 | $194,400 |
| Median property tax | $1,651 | $1,592 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.814% | 0.819% |
| Median gross rent | $1,073 | $1,023 |
| Population | 1,903 | 206,868 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bristol sits in Elkhart County, which averages a high of 83.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.8°F in its coldest, with 39.85" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 793 cooling and 6,116 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Elkhart County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Elkhart County
Full Elkhart County cost breakdown · Every county in Indiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bristol?
A $203,000 home in Bristol, Indiana costs approximately $1,668 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,044 principal and interest, $138 property tax, $87 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $169 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
Bristol has an effective property tax rate of 0.814%, based on a median home value of $202,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,651. That is in line with the Elkhart County average of 0.819%.
What is the average home price in Bristol?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bristol, Indiana is $202,900, against $194,400 across Elkhart County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bristol?
Median gross rent in Bristol is $1,073 a month, against $1,668 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 Bristol — 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.