Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Kalona, Iowa
A $221,000 home here costs
$1,860per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,136. The real number is $723 higher every month — 64% 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.
Kalona against Washington County and Iowa
| Measure | Kalona | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $221,300 | $199,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,981 | $2,688 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.347% | 1.347% |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $862 |
| Population | 2,679 | 22,539 |
The weather behind that power bill
Kalona sits in Washington County, which averages a high of 85.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.5°F in its coldest, with 37.94" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 867 cooling and 6,536 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 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 Iowa
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Kalona?
A $221,000 home in Kalona, Iowa costs approximately $1,860 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,136 principal and interest, $248 property tax, $96 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $184 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Kalona?
Kalona has an effective property tax rate of 1.347%, based on a median home value of $221,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,981. That is in line with the Washington County average of 1.347%.
What is the average home price in Kalona?
The median owner-occupied home value in Kalona, Iowa is $221,300, against $199,600 across Washington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Kalona?
Median gross rent in Kalona is $819 a month, against $1,860 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 Kalona — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.