Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Carroll, Iowa
A $184,000 home here costs
$1,568per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $946. The real number is $622 higher every month — 66% 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.
Carroll against Carroll County and Iowa
| Measure | Carroll | Carroll County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $184,100 | $175,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,329 | $1,849 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.265% | 1.052% |
| Median gross rent | $718 | $722 |
| Population | 10,261 | 20,677 |
The weather behind that power bill
Carroll sits in Carroll County, which averages a high of 84.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.3°F in its coldest, with 33.71" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 866 cooling and 6,921 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Carroll County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Carroll County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Carroll?
A $184,000 home in Carroll, Iowa costs approximately $1,568 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $946 principal and interest, $194 property tax, $80 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $153 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Carroll?
Carroll has an effective property tax rate of 1.265%, based on a median home value of $184,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,329. That is higher than the Carroll County average of 1.052%.
What is the average home price in Carroll?
The median owner-occupied home value in Carroll, Iowa is $184,100, against $175,700 across Carroll County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carroll?
Median gross rent in Carroll is $718 a month, against $1,568 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 Carroll — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.