Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fairplains, North Carolina
A $134,000 home here costs
$1,107per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $689. The real number is $418 higher every month — 61% 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.
Fairplains against Wilkes County and North Carolina
| Measure | Fairplains | Wilkes County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $134,300 | $161,400 |
| Median property tax | $648 | $1,003 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.483% | 0.621% |
| Median gross rent | $631 | $715 |
| Population | 1,876 | 65,983 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fairplains sits in Wilkes County, which averages a high of 86.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.0°F in its coldest, with 51.7" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,201 cooling and 4,000 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wilkes County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wilkes County
Full Wilkes County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fairplains?
A $134,000 home in Fairplains, North Carolina costs approximately $1,107 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $689 principal and interest, $54 property tax, $49 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $112 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fairplains?
Fairplains has an effective property tax rate of 0.483%, based on a median home value of $134,300 and median real estate taxes of $648. That is lower than the Wilkes County average of 0.621%.
What is the average home price in Fairplains?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fairplains, North Carolina is $134,300, against $161,400 across Wilkes County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fairplains?
Median gross rent in Fairplains is $631 a month, against $1,107 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 Fairplains — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.