Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Duluth, Minnesota
A $226,000 home here costs
$1,891per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,162. The real number is $729 higher every month — 63% 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.
Duluth against St. Louis County and Minnesota
| Measure | Duluth | St. Louis County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $225,700 | $208,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,661 | $2,142 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.179% | 1.027% |
| Median gross rent | $1,037 | $970 |
| Population | 86,863 | 200,056 |
The weather behind that power bill
Duluth sits in St. Louis County, which averages a high of 77.2°F in its hottest month and a low of -1.5°F in its coldest, with 27.58" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 228 cooling and 9,718 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Louis County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Louis County
Full St. Louis County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Duluth?
A $226,000 home in Duluth, Minnesota costs approximately $1,891 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,162 principal and interest, $222 property tax, $98 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $188 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Duluth?
Duluth has an effective property tax rate of 1.179%, based on a median home value of $225,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,661. That is higher than the St. Louis County average of 1.027%.
What is the average home price in Duluth?
The median owner-occupied home value in Duluth, Minnesota is $225,700, against $208,500 across St. Louis County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Duluth?
Median gross rent in Duluth is $1,037 a month, against $1,891 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 Duluth — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.