Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Calais, Maine
A $112,000 home here costs
$1,169per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $576. The real number is $593 higher every month — 103% 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.
Calais against Washington County and Maine
| Measure | Calais | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $111,800 | $147,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,691 | $1,654 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.513% | 1.124% |
| Median gross rent | $815 | $768 |
| Population | 3,087 | 31,261 |
The weather behind that power bill
Calais sits in Washington County, which averages a high of 77.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.9°F in its coldest, with 49.35" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 260 cooling and 7,761 heating degree days, which is what sets the $257 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Washington County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Washington County
Full Washington County cost breakdown · Every county in Maine
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Calais?
A $112,000 home in Calais, Maine costs approximately $1,169 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $576 principal and interest, $141 property tax, $33 homeowners insurance, $325 utilities and $93 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Calais?
Calais has an effective property tax rate of 1.513%, based on a median home value of $111,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,691. That is higher than the Washington County average of 1.124%.
What is the average home price in Calais?
The median owner-occupied home value in Calais, Maine is $111,800, against $147,100 across Washington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Calais?
Median gross rent in Calais is $815 a month, against $1,169 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 Calais — 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.