Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Park, Ohio
A $163,000 home here costs
$1,517per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $838. The real number is $679 higher every month — 81% 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 Park against Hamilton County and Ohio
| Measure | Forest Park | Hamilton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $163,200 | $225,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,872 | $3,461 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.760% | 1.533% |
| Median gross rent | $1,172 | $1,005 |
| Population | 19,994 | 827,878 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Park sits in Hamilton County, which averages a high of 86.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.6°F in its coldest, with 43.4" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,126 cooling and 4,804 heating degree days, which is what sets the $175 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hamilton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hamilton County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Park?
A $163,000 home in Forest Park, Ohio costs approximately $1,517 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $838 principal and interest, $239 property tax, $61 homeowners insurance, $243 utilities and $136 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Park?
Forest Park has an effective property tax rate of 1.760%, based on a median home value of $163,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,872. That is higher than the Hamilton County average of 1.533%.
What is the average home price in Forest Park?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Park, Ohio is $163,200, against $225,700 across Hamilton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Park?
Median gross rent in Forest Park is $1,172 a month, against $1,517 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 Park — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Ohio.
- 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.