Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dexter, Maine
A $153,000 home here costs
$1,420per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $787. The real number is $634 higher every month — 81% 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.
Dexter against Penobscot County and Maine
| Measure | Dexter | Penobscot County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $153,200 | $193,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,625 | $2,435 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.061% | 1.256% |
| Median gross rent | $883 | $997 |
| Population | 1,840 | 153,571 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dexter sits in Penobscot County, which averages a high of 79.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 3.4°F in its coldest, with 44.27" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 337 cooling and 8,272 heating degree days, which is what sets the $257 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Penobscot County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Penobscot County
Full Penobscot County cost breakdown · Every county in Maine
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dexter?
A $153,000 home in Dexter, Maine costs approximately $1,420 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $787 principal and interest, $135 property tax, $45 homeowners insurance, $325 utilities and $128 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dexter?
Dexter has an effective property tax rate of 1.061%, based on a median home value of $153,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,625. That is lower than the Penobscot County average of 1.256%.
What is the average home price in Dexter?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dexter, Maine is $153,200, against $193,800 across Penobscot County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dexter?
Median gross rent in Dexter is $883 a month, against $1,420 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 Dexter — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Maine.
- 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.