Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Decorah, Iowa
A $235,000 home here costs
$1,977per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,208. The real number is $769 higher every month — 64% 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.
Decorah against Winneshiek County and Iowa
| Measure | Decorah | Winneshiek County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $234,600 | $239,000 |
| Median property tax | $3,308 | $2,784 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.410% | 1.165% |
| Median gross rent | $788 | $800 |
| Population | 7,597 | 19,972 |
The weather behind that power bill
Decorah sits in Winneshiek County, which averages a high of 84.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.4°F in its coldest, with 37.61" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 828 cooling and 6,794 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Winneshiek County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Winneshiek County
No other places of this size are published in Winneshiek County.
Full Winneshiek County cost breakdown · Every county in Iowa
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Decorah?
A $235,000 home in Decorah, Iowa costs approximately $1,977 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,208 principal and interest, $276 property tax, $102 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $196 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Decorah?
Decorah has an effective property tax rate of 1.410%, based on a median home value of $234,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,308. That is higher than the Winneshiek County average of 1.165%.
What is the average home price in Decorah?
The median owner-occupied home value in Decorah, Iowa is $234,600, against $239,000 across Winneshiek County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Decorah?
Median gross rent in Decorah is $788 a month, against $1,977 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 Decorah — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.