Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fern Prairie, Washington
A $550,000 home here costs
$3,965per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,828. The real number is $1,138 higher every month — 40% 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.
Fern Prairie against Clark County and Washington
| Measure | Fern Prairie | Clark County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $550,000 | $487,900 |
| Median property tax | $4,745 | $4,080 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.863% | 0.836% |
| Median gross rent | $1,482 | $1,668 |
| Population | 2,132 | 510,516 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fern Prairie sits in Clark County, which averages a high of 79.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.7°F in its coldest, with 52.37" of precipitation a year and 44% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 164 cooling and 5,303 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clark County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clark County
Full Clark County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fern Prairie?
A $550,000 home in Fern Prairie, Washington costs approximately $3,965 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,828 principal and interest, $396 property tax, $82 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $458 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fern Prairie?
Fern Prairie has an effective property tax rate of 0.863%, based on a median home value of $550,000 and median real estate taxes of $4,745. That is higher than the Clark County average of 0.836%.
What is the average home price in Fern Prairie?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fern Prairie, Washington is $550,000, against $487,900 across Clark County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fern Prairie?
Median gross rent in Fern Prairie is $1,482 a month, against $3,965 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 Fern Prairie — 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.