Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lawson, Missouri
A $170,000 home here costs
$1,420per 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 $546 higher every month — 63% 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 against Clay County and Missouri
| Measure | Lawson | Clay County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,500 | $256,400 |
| Median property tax | $1,498 | $2,817 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.884% | 1.099% |
| Median gross rent | $1,006 | $1,220 |
| Population | 2,742 | 255,566 |
Lawson extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Clay County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Lawson sits in Clay County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.2°F in its coldest, with 41.21" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,266 cooling and 5,342 heating degree days, which is what sets the $123 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Clay County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Clay County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lawson?
A $170,000 home in Lawson, Missouri costs approximately $1,420 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $874 principal and interest, $125 property tax, $89 homeowners insurance, $191 utilities and $142 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lawson?
Lawson has an effective property tax rate of 0.884%, based on a median home value of $169,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,498. That is lower than the Clay County average of 1.099%.
What is the average home price in Lawson?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lawson, Missouri is $169,500, against $256,400 across Clay County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lawson?
Median gross rent in Lawson is $1,006 a month, against $1,420 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 — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Missouri.
- 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.