Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Cookeville, Tennessee
A $264,000 home here costs
$2,015per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,357. The real number is $657 higher every month — 48% 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.
Cookeville against Putnam County and Tennessee
| Measure | Cookeville | Putnam County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $263,800 | $246,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,537 | $1,299 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.583% | 0.526% |
| Median gross rent | $885 | $881 |
| Population | 35,544 | 81,366 |
The weather behind that power bill
Cookeville sits in Putnam County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.0°F in its coldest, with 60.02" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,270 cooling and 4,014 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Putnam County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Putnam County
Full Putnam County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Cookeville?
A $264,000 home in Cookeville, Tennessee costs approximately $2,015 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,357 principal and interest, $128 property tax, $111 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $220 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Cookeville?
Cookeville has an effective property tax rate of 0.583%, based on a median home value of $263,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,537. That is higher than the Putnam County average of 0.526%.
What is the average home price in Cookeville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Cookeville, Tennessee is $263,800, against $246,800 across Putnam County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cookeville?
Median gross rent in Cookeville is $885 a month, against $2,015 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 Cookeville — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Tennessee.
- 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.