Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Howard, Wisconsin
A $286,000 home here costs
$2,346per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,470. The real number is $876 higher every month — 60% 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.
Howard against Brown County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Howard | Brown County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $286,200 | $245,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,822 | $3,593 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.335% | 1.461% |
| Median gross rent | $1,053 | $973 |
| Population | 20,261 | 269,425 |
Howard extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Brown County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Howard sits in Brown County, which averages a high of 81.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.1°F in its coldest, with 31.61" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 508 cooling and 7,505 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 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 Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Howard?
A $286,000 home in Howard, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,346 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,470 principal and interest, $318 property tax, $74 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $238 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Howard?
Howard has an effective property tax rate of 1.335%, based on a median home value of $286,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,822. That is lower than the Brown County average of 1.461%.
What is the average home price in Howard?
The median owner-occupied home value in Howard, Wisconsin is $286,200, against $245,900 across Brown County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Howard?
Median gross rent in Howard is $1,053 a month, against $2,346 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 Howard — 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.