Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Center, Colorado
A $116,000 home here costs
$965per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $596. The real number is $368 higher every month — 62% 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.
Center against Rio Grande County and Colorado
| Measure | Center | Rio Grande County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $115,600 | $215,400 |
| Median property tax | $296 | $893 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.256% | 0.415% |
| Median gross rent | $478 | $782 |
| Population | 2,312 | 11,394 |
Center extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Rio Grande County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Center sits in Rio Grande County, which averages a high of 80.1°F in its hottest month and a low of -2.2°F in its coldest, with 9.23" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 15 cooling and 8,950 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Rio Grande County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Rio Grande County
Full Rio Grande County cost breakdown · Every county in Colorado
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Center?
A $116,000 home in Center, Colorado costs approximately $965 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $596 principal and interest, $25 property tax, $34 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $97 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Center?
Center has an effective property tax rate of 0.256%, based on a median home value of $115,600 and median real estate taxes of $296. That is lower than the Rio Grande County average of 0.415%.
What is the average home price in Center?
The median owner-occupied home value in Center, Colorado is $115,600, against $215,400 across Rio Grande County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Center?
Median gross rent in Center is $478 a month, against $965 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 Center — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Colorado.
- 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.