Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ellensburg, Washington
A $358,000 home here costs
$2,654per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,840. The real number is $814 higher every month — 44% 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.
Ellensburg against Kittitas County and Washington
| Measure | Ellensburg | Kittitas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $357,800 | $459,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,119 | $3,255 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.872% | 0.708% |
| Median gross rent | $1,258 | $1,253 |
| Population | 18,913 | 44,736 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ellensburg sits in Kittitas County, which averages a high of 86.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.8°F in its coldest, with 9.16" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 568 cooling and 5,970 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kittitas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kittitas County
Full Kittitas County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ellensburg?
A $358,000 home in Ellensburg, Washington costs approximately $2,654 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,840 principal and interest, $260 property tax, $53 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $298 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ellensburg?
Ellensburg has an effective property tax rate of 0.872%, based on a median home value of $357,800 and median real estate taxes of $3,119. That is higher than the Kittitas County average of 0.708%.
What is the average home price in Ellensburg?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ellensburg, Washington is $357,800, against $459,900 across Kittitas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ellensburg?
Median gross rent in Ellensburg is $1,258 a month, against $2,654 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 Ellensburg — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.