Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Columbus, Kansas
A $86,000 home here costs
$876per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $442. The real number is $434 higher every month — 98% 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 Cherokee County and Kansas
| Measure | Columbus | Cherokee County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $85,800 | $99,400 |
| Median property tax | $1,292 | $1,219 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.506% | 1.226% |
| Median gross rent | $768 | $801 |
| Population | 2,902 | 19,236 |
The weather behind that power bill
Columbus sits in Cherokee County, which averages a high of 89.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.3°F in its coldest, with 46" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,553 cooling and 4,342 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cherokee County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cherokee County
Full Cherokee County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Columbus?
A $86,000 home in Columbus, Kansas costs approximately $876 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $442 principal and interest, $108 property tax, $50 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $72 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Columbus has an effective property tax rate of 1.506%, based on a median home value of $85,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,292. That is higher than the Cherokee County average of 1.226%.
What is the average home price in Columbus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Columbus, Kansas is $85,800, against $99,400 across Cherokee County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?
Median gross rent in Columbus is $768 a month, against $876 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 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.