Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fairbanks, Alaska
A $256,000 home here costs
$2,198per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,316. The real number is $882 higher every month — 67% 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.
Fairbanks against Fairbanks North Star Borough and Alaska
| Measure | Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $255,700 | $282,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,336 | $3,570 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.305% | 1.264% |
| Median gross rent | $1,470 | $1,424 |
| Population | 32,242 | 95,555 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fairbanks sits in Fairbanks North Star Borough, which averages a high of 71.6°F in its hottest month and a low of -17.6°F in its coldest, with 12.88" of precipitation a year and 57% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 34 cooling and 13,878 heating degree days, which is what sets the $254 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Fairbanks North Star Borough — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Full Fairbanks North Star Borough cost breakdown · Every county in Alaska
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fairbanks?
A $256,000 home in Fairbanks, Alaska costs approximately $2,198 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,316 principal and interest, $278 property tax, $68 homeowners insurance, $322 utilities and $213 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fairbanks?
Fairbanks has an effective property tax rate of 1.305%, based on a median home value of $255,700 and median real estate taxes of $3,336. That is higher than the Fairbanks North Star Borough average of 1.264%.
What is the average home price in Fairbanks?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fairbanks, Alaska is $255,700, against $282,500 across Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fairbanks?
Median gross rent in Fairbanks is $1,470 a month, against $2,198 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 Fairbanks — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alaska.
- 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.