Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Defiance, Ohio
A $135,000 home here costs
$1,224per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $694. The real number is $530 higher every month — 76% 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.
Defiance against Defiance County and Ohio
| Measure | Defiance | Defiance County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $134,600 | $150,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,476 | $1,686 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.097% | 1.117% |
| Median gross rent | $841 | $826 |
| Population | 16,830 | 38,258 |
The weather behind that power bill
Defiance sits in Defiance County, which averages a high of 83.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.1°F in its coldest, with 32.95" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 747 cooling and 6,179 heating degree days, which is what sets the $175 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Defiance County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Defiance County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Defiance?
A $135,000 home in Defiance, Ohio costs approximately $1,224 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $694 principal and interest, $123 property tax, $50 homeowners insurance, $243 utilities and $113 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Defiance?
Defiance has an effective property tax rate of 1.097%, based on a median home value of $134,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,476. That is lower than the Defiance County average of 1.117%.
What is the average home price in Defiance?
The median owner-occupied home value in Defiance, Ohio is $134,600, against $150,900 across Defiance County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Defiance?
Median gross rent in Defiance is $841 a month, against $1,224 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 Defiance — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Ohio.
- 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.