Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dresser, Wisconsin
A $194,000 home here costs
$1,715per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $997. The real number is $718 higher every month — 72% 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.
Dresser against Polk County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Dresser | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $194,400 | $241,200 |
| Median property tax | $3,135 | $2,947 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.613% | 1.222% |
| Median gross rent | $1,024 | $958 |
| Population | 1,037 | 45,327 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dresser sits in Polk County, which averages a high of 80.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 4.6°F in its coldest, with 32.89" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 500 cooling and 8,078 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Polk County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Polk County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dresser?
A $194,000 home in Dresser, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,715 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $997 principal and interest, $261 property tax, $50 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $162 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dresser?
Dresser has an effective property tax rate of 1.613%, based on a median home value of $194,400 and median real estate taxes of $3,135. That is higher than the Polk County average of 1.222%.
What is the average home price in Dresser?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dresser, Wisconsin is $194,400, against $241,200 across Polk County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dresser?
Median gross rent in Dresser is $1,024 a month, against $1,715 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 Dresser — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- 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.