Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Columbus, Wisconsin
A $226,000 home here costs
$1,975per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,162. The real number is $813 higher every month — 70% 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 Dodge County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Columbus | Dodge County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $225,700 | $218,400 |
| Median property tax | $3,845 | $3,395 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.704% | 1.554% |
| Median gross rent | $814 | $963 |
| Population | 5,493 | 88,818 |
Columbus extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Dodge County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Columbus sits in Dodge County, which averages a high of 80.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 8.6°F in its coldest, with 35.3" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 483 cooling and 7,673 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dodge County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dodge County
Full Dodge County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Columbus?
A $226,000 home in Columbus, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,975 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,162 principal and interest, $321 property tax, $58 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $188 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Columbus has an effective property tax rate of 1.704%, based on a median home value of $225,700 and median real estate taxes of $3,845. That is higher than the Dodge County average of 1.554%.
What is the average home price in Columbus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Columbus, Wisconsin is $225,700, against $218,400 across Dodge County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?
Median gross rent in Columbus is $814 a month, against $1,975 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 Wisconsin.
- 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.