Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Custer, South Dakota
A $230,000 home here costs
$1,890per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,182. The real number is $707 higher every month — 60% 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.
Custer against Custer County and South Dakota
| Measure | Custer | Custer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $229,500 | $327,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,406 | $2,549 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.048% | 0.779% |
| Median gross rent | $926 | $1,117 |
| Population | 2,148 | 8,686 |
The weather behind that power bill
Custer sits in Custer County, which averages a high of 79.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.0°F in its coldest, with 19.75" of precipitation a year and 48% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 210 cooling and 8,152 heating degree days, which is what sets the $141 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Custer County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Custer County
No other places of this size are published in Custer County.
Full Custer County cost breakdown · Every county in South Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Custer?
A $230,000 home in Custer, South Dakota costs approximately $1,890 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,182 principal and interest, $201 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $209 utilities and $192 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Custer?
Custer has an effective property tax rate of 1.048%, based on a median home value of $229,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,406. That is higher than the Custer County average of 0.779%.
What is the average home price in Custer?
The median owner-occupied home value in Custer, South Dakota is $229,500, against $327,200 across Custer County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Custer?
Median gross rent in Custer is $926 a month, against $1,890 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 Custer — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Dakota.
- 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.