Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lawson Heights, Pennsylvania
A $170,000 home here costs
$1,547per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $874. The real number is $673 higher every month — 77% 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.
Lawson Heights against Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Lawson Heights | Westmoreland County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,500 | $193,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,546 | $2,473 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.502% | 1.281% |
| Median gross rent | $1,035 | $843 |
| Population | 2,552 | 353,345 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lawson Heights sits in Westmoreland County, which averages a high of 82.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.7°F in its coldest, with 43.94" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 587 cooling and 5,855 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Westmoreland County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Westmoreland County
Full Westmoreland County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lawson Heights?
A $170,000 home in Lawson Heights, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,547 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $874 principal and interest, $213 property tax, $57 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $142 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lawson Heights?
Lawson Heights has an effective property tax rate of 1.502%, based on a median home value of $169,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,546. That is higher than the Westmoreland County average of 1.281%.
What is the average home price in Lawson Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lawson Heights, Pennsylvania is $169,500, against $193,100 across Westmoreland County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lawson Heights?
Median gross rent in Lawson Heights is $1,035 a month, against $1,547 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 Lawson Heights — 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.