Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Elsmere, Kentucky
A $157,000 home here costs
$1,338per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $807. The real number is $531 higher every month — 66% 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.
Elsmere against Kenton County and Kentucky
| Measure | Elsmere | Kenton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $157,200 | $227,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,383 | $2,284 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.880% | 1.004% |
| Median gross rent | $1,303 | $1,018 |
| Population | 9,151 | 169,817 |
The weather behind that power bill
Elsmere sits in Kenton County, which averages a high of 86.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.1°F in its coldest, with 45.26" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,160 cooling and 4,892 heating degree days, which is what sets the $135 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kenton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kenton County
Full Kenton County cost breakdown · Every county in Kentucky
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Elsmere?
A $157,000 home in Elsmere, Kentucky costs approximately $1,338 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $807 principal and interest, $115 property tax, $83 homeowners insurance, $203 utilities and $131 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Elsmere?
Elsmere has an effective property tax rate of 0.880%, based on a median home value of $157,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,383. That is lower than the Kenton County average of 1.004%.
What is the average home price in Elsmere?
The median owner-occupied home value in Elsmere, Kentucky is $157,200, against $227,500 across Kenton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Elsmere?
Median gross rent in Elsmere is $1,303 a month, against $1,338 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 Elsmere — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kentucky.
- 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.