Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Geraldine, Alabama
A $199,000 home here costs
$1,600per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,023. The real number is $577 higher every month — 56% 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.
Geraldine against DeKalb County and Alabama
| Measure | Geraldine | DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $199,400 | $135,500 |
| Median property tax | $681 | $458 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.342% | 0.338% |
| Median gross rent | $391 | $683 |
| Population | 1,340 | 71,946 |
The weather behind that power bill
Geraldine sits in DeKalb County, which averages a high of 90.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.5°F in its coldest, with 58.03" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,940 cooling and 2,922 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for DeKalb County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in DeKalb County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Geraldine?
A $199,000 home in Geraldine, Alabama costs approximately $1,600 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,023 principal and interest, $57 property tax, $136 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $166 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Geraldine?
Geraldine has an effective property tax rate of 0.342%, based on a median home value of $199,400 and median real estate taxes of $681. That is in line with the DeKalb County average of 0.338%.
What is the average home price in Geraldine?
The median owner-occupied home value in Geraldine, Alabama is $199,400, against $135,500 across DeKalb County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Geraldine?
Median gross rent in Geraldine is $391 a month, against $1,600 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 Geraldine — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- 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.