Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ephrata, Pennsylvania
A $215,000 home here costs
$1,903per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,105. The real number is $797 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.
Ephrata against Lancaster County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Ephrata | Lancaster County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $215,100 | $279,400 |
| Median property tax | $3,418 | $3,941 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.589% | 1.411% |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 | $1,289 |
| Population | 13,729 | 555,151 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ephrata sits in Lancaster County, which averages a high of 87.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 22.2°F in its coldest, with 44.15" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,030 cooling and 5,129 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lancaster County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lancaster County
Full Lancaster County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ephrata?
A $215,000 home in Ephrata, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,903 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,105 principal and interest, $285 property tax, $72 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $179 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ephrata?
Ephrata has an effective property tax rate of 1.589%, based on a median home value of $215,100 and median real estate taxes of $3,418. That is higher than the Lancaster County average of 1.411%.
What is the average home price in Ephrata?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ephrata, Pennsylvania is $215,100, against $279,400 across Lancaster County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ephrata?
Median gross rent in Ephrata is $1,070 a month, against $1,903 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 Ephrata — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.