Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Garden City, Kansas
A $186,000 home here costs
$1,653per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $956. The real number is $697 higher every month — 73% 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.
Garden City against Finney County and Kansas
| Measure | Garden City | Finney County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $186,200 | $191,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,756 | $2,733 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.480% | 1.430% |
| Median gross rent | $990 | $991 |
| Population | 27,781 | 38,001 |
The weather behind that power bill
Garden City sits in Finney County, which averages a high of 92.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.6°F in its coldest, with 18.95" of precipitation a year and 50% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,325 cooling and 5,174 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Finney County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Finney County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Garden City?
A $186,000 home in Garden City, Kansas costs approximately $1,653 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $956 principal and interest, $229 property tax, $108 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $155 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Garden City?
Garden City has an effective property tax rate of 1.480%, based on a median home value of $186,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,756. That is higher than the Finney County average of 1.430%.
What is the average home price in Garden City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Garden City, Kansas is $186,200, against $191,100 across Finney County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Garden City?
Median gross rent in Garden City is $990 a month, against $1,653 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 Garden City — 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.