Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lawrence, Pennsylvania
A $218,000 home here costs
$1,879per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,121. The real number is $758 higher every month — 68% 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.
Lawrence against Washington County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Lawrence | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $217,700 | $220,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,902 | $2,445 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.333% | 1.108% |
| Median gross rent | $1,292 | $922 |
| Population | 1,055 | 209,778 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lawrence sits in Washington County, which averages a high of 83.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.0°F in its coldest, with 41.34" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 762 cooling and 5,674 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Washington County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Washington County
Full Washington County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lawrence?
A $218,000 home in Lawrence, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,879 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,121 principal and interest, $242 property tax, $73 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $182 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lawrence?
Lawrence has an effective property tax rate of 1.333%, based on a median home value of $217,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,902. That is higher than the Washington County average of 1.108%.
What is the average home price in Lawrence?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lawrence, Pennsylvania is $217,700, against $220,600 across Washington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lawrence?
Median gross rent in Lawrence is $1,292 a month, against $1,879 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 Lawrence — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.