Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lake Mills, Wisconsin
A $282,000 home here costs
$2,392per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,450. The real number is $942 higher every month — 65% 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 Mills against Jefferson County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Lake Mills | Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $282,400 | $253,800 |
| Median property tax | $4,672 | $3,988 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.654% | 1.571% |
| Median gross rent | $1,095 | $1,012 |
| Population | 6,391 | 85,867 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lake Mills sits in Jefferson County, which averages a high of 82.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.0°F in its coldest, with 38.74" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 678 cooling and 7,125 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Jefferson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Jefferson County
Full Jefferson County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lake Mills?
A $282,000 home in Lake Mills, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,392 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,450 principal and interest, $389 property tax, $73 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $235 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Mills?
Lake Mills has an effective property tax rate of 1.654%, based on a median home value of $282,400 and median real estate taxes of $4,672. That is higher than the Jefferson County average of 1.571%.
What is the average home price in Lake Mills?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lake Mills, Wisconsin is $282,400, against $253,800 across Jefferson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lake Mills?
Median gross rent in Lake Mills is $1,095 a month, against $2,392 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 Mills — 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.