Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fort Scott, Kansas
A $89,000 home here costs
$935per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $458. The real number is $477 higher every month — 104% 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.
Fort Scott against Bourbon County and Kansas
| Measure | Fort Scott | Bourbon County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $89,400 | $107,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,771 | $1,797 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.981% | 1.670% |
| Median gross rent | $796 | $784 |
| Population | 7,551 | 14,384 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fort Scott sits in Bourbon County, which averages a high of 90.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.9°F in its coldest, with 44.49" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,628 cooling and 4,513 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Bourbon County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Bourbon County
No other places of this size are published in Bourbon County.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fort Scott?
A $89,000 home in Fort Scott, Kansas costs approximately $935 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $458 principal and interest, $147 property tax, $52 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $74 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Scott?
Fort Scott has an effective property tax rate of 1.981%, based on a median home value of $89,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,771. That is higher than the Bourbon County average of 1.670%.
What is the average home price in Fort Scott?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fort Scott, Kansas is $89,400, against $107,600 across Bourbon County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fort Scott?
Median gross rent in Fort Scott is $796 a month, against $935 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 Fort Scott — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- 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.