Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fords Prairie, Washington
A $297,000 home here costs
$2,250per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,527. The real number is $723 higher every month — 47% 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.
Fords Prairie against Lewis County and Washington
| Measure | Fords Prairie | Lewis County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $297,400 | $341,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,752 | $2,433 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.925% | 0.712% |
| Median gross rent | $1,196 | $1,044 |
| Population | 1,762 | 83,925 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fords Prairie sits in Lewis County, which averages a high of 78.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.3°F in its coldest, with 50.62" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 113 cooling and 5,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lewis County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lewis County
Full Lewis County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fords Prairie?
A $297,000 home in Fords Prairie, Washington costs approximately $2,250 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,527 principal and interest, $229 property tax, $44 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $248 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fords Prairie?
Fords Prairie has an effective property tax rate of 0.925%, based on a median home value of $297,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,752. That is higher than the Lewis County average of 0.712%.
What is the average home price in Fords Prairie?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fords Prairie, Washington is $297,400, against $341,500 across Lewis County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fords Prairie?
Median gross rent in Fords Prairie is $1,196 a month, against $2,250 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 Fords 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.