Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Hartford, Wisconsin
A $261,000 home here costs
$2,157per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,342. The real number is $815 higher every month — 61% 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.
Hartford against Washington County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Hartford | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $261,300 | $316,200 |
| Median property tax | $3,423 | $3,795 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.310% | 1.200% |
| Median gross rent | $1,095 | $1,126 |
| Population | 15,761 | 137,320 |
Hartford extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Washington County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Hartford sits in Washington County, which averages a high of 81.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.7°F in its coldest, with 35.84" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 532 cooling and 7,420 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Washington County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Washington County
Full Washington County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Hartford?
A $261,000 home in Hartford, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,157 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,342 principal and interest, $285 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $218 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Hartford?
Hartford has an effective property tax rate of 1.310%, based on a median home value of $261,300 and median real estate taxes of $3,423. That is higher than the Washington County average of 1.200%.
What is the average home price in Hartford?
The median owner-occupied home value in Hartford, Wisconsin is $261,300, against $316,200 across Washington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hartford?
Median gross rent in Hartford is $1,095 a month, against $2,157 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 Hartford — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- 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.