Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Groton, South Dakota
A $173,000 home here costs
$1,526per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $889. The real number is $637 higher every month — 72% 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.
Groton against Brown County and South Dakota
| Measure | Groton | Brown County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,000 | $212,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,447 | $2,553 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.414% | 1.199% |
| Median gross rent | $954 | $794 |
| Population | 1,794 | 38,079 |
The weather behind that power bill
Groton sits in Brown County, which averages a high of 84.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 1.9°F in its coldest, with 21.82" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 630 cooling and 8,222 heating degree days, which is what sets the $141 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Brown County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Brown County
Full Brown County cost breakdown · Every county in South Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Groton?
A $173,000 home in Groton, South Dakota costs approximately $1,526 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $889 principal and interest, $204 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $209 utilities and $144 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Groton?
Groton has an effective property tax rate of 1.414%, based on a median home value of $173,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,447. That is higher than the Brown County average of 1.199%.
What is the average home price in Groton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Groton, South Dakota is $173,000, against $212,900 across Brown County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Groton?
Median gross rent in Groton is $954 a month, against $1,526 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 Groton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Dakota.
- 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.