Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lake City, Georgia
A $169,000 home here costs
$1,439per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $869. The real number is $570 higher every month — 66% 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.
Lake City against Clayton County and Georgia
| Measure | Lake City | Clayton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,500 | $194,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,744 | $1,737 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.035% | 0.893% |
| Median gross rent | $1,130 | $1,307 |
| Population | 2,911 | 298,771 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lake City sits in Clayton County, which averages a high of 90.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.6°F in its coldest, with 50.43" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,051 cooling and 2,531 heating degree days, which is what sets the $142 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clayton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clayton County
Full Clayton County cost breakdown · Every county in Georgia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lake City?
A $169,000 home in Lake City, Georgia costs approximately $1,439 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $869 principal and interest, $146 property tax, $73 homeowners insurance, $210 utilities and $141 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lake City?
Lake City has an effective property tax rate of 1.035%, based on a median home value of $168,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,744. That is higher than the Clayton County average of 0.893%.
What is the average home price in Lake City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lake City, Georgia is $168,500, against $194,500 across Clayton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake City?
Median gross rent in Lake City is $1,130 a month, against $1,439 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 Lake City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Georgia.
- 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.