Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dunkirk, New York
A $91,000 home here costs
$1,089per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $468. The real number is $621 higher every month — 133% 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.
Dunkirk against Chautauqua County and New York
| Measure | Dunkirk | Chautauqua County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $91,200 | $119,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,266 | $2,846 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.485% | 2.386% |
| Median gross rent | $905 | $797 |
| Population | 12,597 | 126,329 |
The weather behind that power bill
Dunkirk sits in Chautauqua County, which averages a high of 80.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.4°F in its coldest, with 45.66" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 667 cooling and 6,030 heating degree days, which is what sets the $269 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chautauqua County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chautauqua County
Full Chautauqua County cost breakdown · Every county in New York
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dunkirk?
A $91,000 home in Dunkirk, New York costs approximately $1,089 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $468 principal and interest, $188 property tax, $20 homeowners insurance, $337 utilities and $76 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dunkirk?
Dunkirk has an effective property tax rate of 2.485%, based on a median home value of $91,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,266. That is higher than the Chautauqua County average of 2.386%.
What is the average home price in Dunkirk?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dunkirk, New York is $91,200, against $119,300 across Chautauqua County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dunkirk?
Median gross rent in Dunkirk is $905 a month, against $1,089 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 Dunkirk — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New York.
- 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.