Cost to Own
United StatesAlaskaKetchikan Gateway BoroughKetchikan Population 8,151 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Ketchikan, Alaska

A $340,000 home here costs

$2,656

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,748. The real number is $908 higher every month — 52% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Ketchikan median: $340,300
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $272,000 borrowed $1,748
Property tax0.747% effective rate for Ketchikan itself $212
Homeowners insuranceAlaska averages $1,067/yr (NAIC), or 0.321% of home value $91
Electricity28.23¢/kWh — Alaska residential average, EIA $254
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $283
Total monthly $2,656

Ketchikan against Ketchikan Gateway Borough and Alaska

MeasureKetchikanKetchikan Gateway Borough
Median home value$340,300$379,000
Median property tax$2,543$2,588
Effective tax rate0.747%0.683%
Median gross rent$1,319$1,388
Population8,15113,870

The weather behind that power bill

Ketchikan sits in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, which averages a high of 64.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.5°F in its coldest, with 149.54" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 16 cooling and 6,917 heating degree days, which is what sets the $254 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Ketchikan Gateway Borough — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Ketchikan Gateway Borough

No other places of this size are published in Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

Full Ketchikan Gateway Borough cost breakdown · Every county in Alaska

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Ketchikan?

A $340,000 home in Ketchikan, Alaska costs approximately $2,656 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,748 principal and interest, $212 property tax, $91 homeowners insurance, $322 utilities and $283 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Ketchikan?

Ketchikan has an effective property tax rate of 0.747%, based on a median home value of $340,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,543. That is higher than the Ketchikan Gateway Borough average of 0.683%.

What is the average home price in Ketchikan?

The median owner-occupied home value in Ketchikan, Alaska is $340,300, against $379,000 across Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ketchikan?

Median gross rent in Ketchikan is $1,319 a month, against $2,656 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 Ketchikan — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
  • Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alaska.
  • 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.

Full methodology