Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chester, Vermont
A $245,000 home here costs
$2,255per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,260. The real number is $996 higher every month — 79% 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.
Chester against Windsor County and Vermont
| Measure | Chester | Windsor County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $245,300 | $267,400 |
| Median property tax | $5,172 | $5,282 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.108% | 1.975% |
| Median gross rent | $938 | $1,089 |
| Population | 1,356 | 57,968 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chester sits in Windsor County, which averages a high of 81.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 7.3°F in its coldest, with 42.45" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 410 cooling and 7,703 heating degree days, which is what sets the $224 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Windsor County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Windsor County
Full Windsor County cost breakdown · Every county in Vermont
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chester?
A $245,000 home in Chester, Vermont costs approximately $2,255 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,260 principal and interest, $430 property tax, $69 homeowners insurance, $292 utilities and $204 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Chester has an effective property tax rate of 2.108%, based on a median home value of $245,300 and median real estate taxes of $5,172. That is higher than the Windsor County average of 1.975%.
What is the average home price in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chester, Vermont is $245,300, against $267,400 across Windsor County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Median gross rent in Chester is $938 a month, against $2,255 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 Chester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Vermont.
- 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.