Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lancaster, Wisconsin
A $173,000 home here costs
$1,520per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $889. The real number is $631 higher every month — 71% 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.
Lancaster against Grant County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Lancaster | Grant County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,300 | $186,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,360 | $2,683 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.362% | 1.440% |
| Median gross rent | $770 | $812 |
| Population | 3,916 | 51,678 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lancaster sits in Grant County, which averages a high of 80.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 8.9°F in its coldest, with 38.49" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 599 cooling and 7,365 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Grant County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Grant County
Full Grant County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lancaster?
A $173,000 home in Lancaster, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,520 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $889 principal and interest, $196 property tax, $45 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $144 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lancaster?
Lancaster has an effective property tax rate of 1.362%, based on a median home value of $173,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,360. That is lower than the Grant County average of 1.440%.
What is the average home price in Lancaster?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lancaster, Wisconsin is $173,300, against $186,300 across Grant County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lancaster?
Median gross rent in Lancaster is $770 a month, against $1,520 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 Lancaster — 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.