Cost to Own
United StatesNorth CarolinaWilkes CountyCricket Population 2,512 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Cricket, North Carolina

A $154,000 home here costs

$1,253

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $792. The real number is $461 higher every month — 58% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Cricket median: $153,600
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $123,200 borrowed $792
Property tax0.572% effective rate for Cricket itself $73
Homeowners insuranceNorth Carolina averages $1,192/yr (NAIC), or 0.435% of home value $56
Electricity15.09¢/kWh — North Carolina residential average, EIA $136
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $128
Total monthly $1,253

Cricket against Wilkes County and North Carolina

MeasureCricketWilkes County
Median home value$153,600$161,400
Median property tax$879$1,003
Effective tax rate0.572%0.621%
Median gross rent$829$715
Population2,51265,983

The weather behind that power bill

Cricket sits in Wilkes County, which averages a high of 86.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.0°F in its coldest, with 51.7" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,201 cooling and 4,000 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Wilkes County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Wilkes County

Full Wilkes County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Cricket?

A $154,000 home in Cricket, North Carolina costs approximately $1,253 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $792 principal and interest, $73 property tax, $56 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $128 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Cricket?

Cricket has an effective property tax rate of 0.572%, based on a median home value of $153,600 and median real estate taxes of $879. That is lower than the Wilkes County average of 0.621%.

What is the average home price in Cricket?

The median owner-occupied home value in Cricket, North Carolina is $153,600, against $161,400 across Wilkes County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cricket?

Median gross rent in Cricket is $829 a month, against $1,253 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 Cricket — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
  • Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
  • 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.

Full methodology