Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dayton, Washington
A $224,000 home here costs
$1,722per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,152. The real number is $571 higher every month — 50% 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.
Dayton against Columbia County and Washington
| Measure | Dayton | Columbia County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $223,900 | $256,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,783 | $2,215 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.796% | 0.865% |
| Median gross rent | $926 | $944 |
| Population | 2,695 | 3,996 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dayton sits in Columbia County, which averages a high of 87.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 26.4°F in its coldest, with 18.79" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 564 cooling and 5,622 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Columbia County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Columbia County
No other places of this size are published in Columbia County.
Full Columbia County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dayton?
A $224,000 home in Dayton, Washington costs approximately $1,722 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,152 principal and interest, $149 property tax, $33 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $187 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dayton?
Dayton has an effective property tax rate of 0.796%, based on a median home value of $223,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,783. That is lower than the Columbia County average of 0.865%.
What is the average home price in Dayton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dayton, Washington is $223,900, against $256,100 across Columbia County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dayton?
Median gross rent in Dayton is $926 a month, against $1,722 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 Dayton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.