Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clay Center, Kansas
A $134,000 home here costs
$1,271per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $689. The real number is $583 higher every month — 85% 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.
Clay Center against Clay County and Kansas
| Measure | Clay Center | Clay County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $133,600 | $149,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,258 | $2,061 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.690% | 1.378% |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $911 |
| Population | 4,148 | 8,071 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clay Center sits in Clay County, which averages a high of 91.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.8°F in its coldest, with 31.85" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,467 cooling and 5,317 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clay County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clay County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clay Center?
A $134,000 home in Clay Center, Kansas costs approximately $1,271 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $689 principal and interest, $189 property tax, $78 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $112 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clay Center?
Clay Center has an effective property tax rate of 1.690%, based on a median home value of $133,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,258. That is higher than the Clay County average of 1.378%.
What is the average home price in Clay Center?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clay Center, Kansas is $133,600, against $149,600 across Clay County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clay Center?
Median gross rent in Clay Center is $950 a month, against $1,271 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 Clay Center — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- 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.