Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest City, Pennsylvania
A $139,000 home here costs
$1,283per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $715. The real number is $568 higher every month — 80% 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.
Forest City against Susquehanna County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Forest City | Susquehanna County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $138,500 | $206,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,727 | $2,373 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.247% | 1.148% |
| Median gross rent | $877 | $913 |
| Population | 1,700 | 38,349 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest City sits in Susquehanna County, which averages a high of 79.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 12.5°F in its coldest, with 46.71" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 313 cooling and 7,499 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Susquehanna County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Susquehanna County
Full Susquehanna County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest City?
A $139,000 home in Forest City, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,283 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $715 principal and interest, $144 property tax, $46 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $116 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest City?
Forest City has an effective property tax rate of 1.247%, based on a median home value of $138,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,727. That is higher than the Susquehanna County average of 1.148%.
What is the average home price in Forest City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest City, Pennsylvania is $138,500, against $206,700 across Susquehanna County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest City?
Median gross rent in Forest City is $877 a month, against $1,283 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 Forest City — 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.