Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Colfax, Iowa
A $161,000 home here costs
$1,429per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $828. The real number is $601 higher every month — 73% 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.
Colfax against Jasper County and Iowa
| Measure | Colfax | Jasper County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $160,500 | $176,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,413 | $2,518 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.503% | 1.424% |
| Median gross rent | $830 | $822 |
| Population | 2,089 | 37,864 |
The weather behind that power bill
Colfax sits in Jasper County, which averages a high of 84.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.4°F in its coldest, with 35.14" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 862 cooling and 6,803 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Jasper County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Jasper County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Colfax?
A $161,000 home in Colfax, Iowa costs approximately $1,429 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $828 principal and interest, $202 property tax, $70 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $134 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Colfax?
Colfax has an effective property tax rate of 1.503%, based on a median home value of $160,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,413. That is higher than the Jasper County average of 1.424%.
What is the average home price in Colfax?
The median owner-occupied home value in Colfax, Iowa is $160,500, against $176,800 across Jasper County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Colfax?
Median gross rent in Colfax is $830 a month, against $1,429 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 Colfax — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.