Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clear Lake, South Dakota
A $144,000 home here costs
$1,290per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $740. The real number is $549 higher every month — 74% 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.
Clear Lake against Deuel County and South Dakota
| Measure | Clear Lake | Deuel County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,400 | $180,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,851 | $1,477 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.282% | 0.820% |
| Median gross rent | $679 | $668 |
| Population | 1,333 | 4,318 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clear Lake sits in Deuel County, which averages a high of 80.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 2.4°F in its coldest, with 27.48" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 458 cooling and 8,664 heating degree days, which is what sets the $141 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Deuel County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Deuel County
No other places of this size are published in Deuel County.
Full Deuel County cost breakdown · Every county in South Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clear Lake?
A $144,000 home in Clear Lake, South Dakota costs approximately $1,290 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $740 principal and interest, $154 property tax, $66 homeowners insurance, $209 utilities and $120 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clear Lake?
Clear Lake has an effective property tax rate of 1.282%, based on a median home value of $144,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,851. That is higher than the Deuel County average of 0.820%.
What is the average home price in Clear Lake?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clear Lake, South Dakota is $144,400, against $180,100 across Deuel County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clear Lake?
Median gross rent in Clear Lake is $679 a month, against $1,290 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 Clear Lake — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Dakota.
- 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.