Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Cedar Lake, Indiana
A $260,000 home here costs
$2,104per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,337. The real number is $767 higher every month — 57% 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.
Cedar Lake against Lake County and Indiana
| Measure | Cedar Lake | Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $259,900 | $214,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,497 | $1,987 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.961% | 0.925% |
| Median gross rent | $1,209 | $1,094 |
| Population | 14,686 | 498,990 |
The weather behind that power bill
Cedar Lake sits in Lake County, which averages a high of 85.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.4°F in its coldest, with 33.35" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 975 cooling and 5,737 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lake County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lake County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Cedar Lake?
A $260,000 home in Cedar Lake, Indiana costs approximately $2,104 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,337 principal and interest, $208 property tax, $111 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $217 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Cedar Lake?
Cedar Lake has an effective property tax rate of 0.961%, based on a median home value of $259,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,497. That is higher than the Lake County average of 0.925%.
What is the average home price in Cedar Lake?
The median owner-occupied home value in Cedar Lake, Indiana is $259,900, against $214,700 across Lake County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cedar Lake?
Median gross rent in Cedar Lake is $1,209 a month, against $2,104 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 Cedar Lake — 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.