Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Darien, Illinois
A $386,000 home here costs
$3,320per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,984. The real number is $1,336 higher every month — 67% 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.
Darien against DuPage County and Illinois
| Measure | Darien | DuPage County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $386,400 | $374,100 |
| Median property tax | $6,973 | $7,833 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.805% | 2.094% |
| Median gross rent | $1,671 | $1,628 |
| Population | 21,855 | 927,263 |
The weather behind that power bill
Darien sits in DuPage County, which averages a high of 84.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 14.7°F in its coldest, with 40.18" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 775 cooling and 6,506 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for DuPage County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in DuPage County
Full DuPage County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Darien?
A $386,000 home in Darien, Illinois costs approximately $3,320 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,984 principal and interest, $581 property tax, $151 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $322 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Darien?
Darien has an effective property tax rate of 1.805%, based on a median home value of $386,400 and median real estate taxes of $6,973. That is lower than the DuPage County average of 2.094%.
What is the average home price in Darien?
The median owner-occupied home value in Darien, Illinois is $386,400, against $374,100 across DuPage County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Darien?
Median gross rent in Darien is $1,671 a month, against $3,320 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 Darien — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Illinois.
- 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.