Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Columbus, Indiana
A $231,000 home here costs
$1,869per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,188. The real number is $681 higher every month — 57% 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.
Columbus against Bartholomew County and Indiana
| Measure | Columbus | Bartholomew County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $231,000 | $221,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,908 | $1,597 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.826% | 0.722% |
| Median gross rent | $1,135 | $1,110 |
| Population | 51,104 | 82,881 |
The weather behind that power bill
Columbus sits in Bartholomew County, which averages a high of 86.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.5°F in its coldest, with 47.34" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,127 cooling and 5,082 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Bartholomew County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Bartholomew County
Full Bartholomew County cost breakdown · Every county in Indiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Columbus?
A $231,000 home in Columbus, Indiana costs approximately $1,869 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,188 principal and interest, $159 property tax, $99 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $193 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Columbus has an effective property tax rate of 0.826%, based on a median home value of $231,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,908. That is higher than the Bartholomew County average of 0.722%.
What is the average home price in Columbus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Columbus, Indiana is $231,000, against $221,100 across Bartholomew County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?
Median gross rent in Columbus is $1,135 a month, against $1,869 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 Columbus — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- 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.