Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Laurens, Iowa
A $71,000 home here costs
$728per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $365. The real number is $363 higher every month — 99% 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.
Laurens against Pocahontas County and Iowa
| Measure | Laurens | Pocahontas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $71,000 | $93,300 |
| Median property tax | $931 | $1,066 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.311% | 1.143% |
| Median gross rent | $763 | $743 |
| Population | 1,234 | 7,040 |
The weather behind that power bill
Laurens sits in Pocahontas County, which averages a high of 84.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 7.5°F in its coldest, with 32.79" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 789 cooling and 7,344 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pocahontas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pocahontas County
Full Pocahontas County cost breakdown · Every county in Iowa
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Laurens?
A $71,000 home in Laurens, Iowa costs approximately $728 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $365 principal and interest, $78 property tax, $31 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $59 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Laurens?
Laurens has an effective property tax rate of 1.311%, based on a median home value of $71,000 and median real estate taxes of $931. That is higher than the Pocahontas County average of 1.143%.
What is the average home price in Laurens?
The median owner-occupied home value in Laurens, Iowa is $71,000, against $93,300 across Pocahontas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Laurens?
Median gross rent in Laurens is $763 a month, against $728 to own the median home all in. Owning costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Laurens — 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.