Cost to Own
United StatesAlabamaMobile CountyDauphin Island Population 1,944 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Dauphin Island, Alabama

A $387,000 home here costs

$2,919

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

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,990. The real number is $930 higher every month — 47% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Dauphin Island median: $387,400
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, $309,600 borrowed $1,990
Property tax0.386% effective rate for Dauphin Island itself $124
Homeowners insuranceAlabama averages $1,610/yr (NAIC), or 0.819% of home value $264
Electricity16.77¢/kWh — Alabama residential average, EIA $151
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $323
Total monthly $2,919

Dauphin Island against Mobile County and Alabama

MeasureDauphin IslandMobile County
Median home value$387,400$176,600
Median property tax$1,495$849
Effective tax rate0.386%0.481%
Median gross rent$1,750$1,021
Population1,944413,162

The weather behind that power bill

Dauphin Island sits in Mobile County, which averages a high of 90.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.7°F in its coldest, with 67.08" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,598 cooling and 1,616 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.

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

Other cities in Mobile County

Full Mobile County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Dauphin Island?

A $387,000 home in Dauphin Island, Alabama costs approximately $2,919 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,990 principal and interest, $124 property tax, $264 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $323 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Dauphin Island?

Dauphin Island has an effective property tax rate of 0.386%, based on a median home value of $387,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,495. That is lower than the Mobile County average of 0.481%.

What is the average home price in Dauphin Island?

The median owner-occupied home value in Dauphin Island, Alabama is $387,400, against $176,600 across Mobile County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dauphin Island?

Median gross rent in Dauphin Island is $1,750 a month, against $2,919 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 Dauphin Island — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
  • Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
  • 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