Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Colfax, Washington
A $246,000 home here costs
$1,856per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,265. The real number is $592 higher every month — 47% 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 Whitman County and Washington
| Measure | Colfax | Whitman County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,300 | $323,300 |
| Median property tax | $1,775 | $2,566 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.721% | 0.794% |
| Median gross rent | $986 | $1,002 |
| Population | 2,785 | 47,042 |
The weather behind that power bill
Colfax sits in Whitman County, which averages a high of 83.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 26.9°F in its coldest, with 17.53" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 284 cooling and 6,253 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Whitman County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Whitman County
Full Whitman County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Colfax?
A $246,000 home in Colfax, Washington costs approximately $1,856 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,265 principal and interest, $148 property tax, $36 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $205 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Colfax?
Colfax has an effective property tax rate of 0.721%, based on a median home value of $246,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,775. That is lower than the Whitman County average of 0.794%.
What is the average home price in Colfax?
The median owner-occupied home value in Colfax, Washington is $246,300, against $323,300 across Whitman County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Colfax?
Median gross rent in Colfax is $986 a month, against $1,856 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 Washington.
- 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.