Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Carbondale, Pennsylvania
A $119,000 home here costs
$1,199per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $612. The real number is $588 higher every month — 96% 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.
Carbondale against Lackawanna County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Carbondale | Lackawanna County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $118,800 | $189,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,241 | $2,910 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.886% | 1.532% |
| Median gross rent | $788 | $973 |
| Population | 8,820 | 215,834 |
The weather behind that power bill
Carbondale sits in Lackawanna County, which averages a high of 84.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.3°F in its coldest, with 38.72" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 791 cooling and 5,740 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lackawanna County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lackawanna County
Full Lackawanna County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Carbondale?
A $119,000 home in Carbondale, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,199 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $612 principal and interest, $187 property tax, $40 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $99 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Carbondale?
Carbondale has an effective property tax rate of 1.886%, based on a median home value of $118,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,241. That is higher than the Lackawanna County average of 1.532%.
What is the average home price in Carbondale?
The median owner-occupied home value in Carbondale, Pennsylvania is $118,800, against $189,900 across Lackawanna County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carbondale?
Median gross rent in Carbondale is $788 a month, against $1,199 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 Carbondale — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.