Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Marengo, Illinois
A $206,000 home here costs
$1,991per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,059. The real number is $932 higher every month — 88% 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.
Marengo against McHenry County and Illinois
| Measure | Marengo | McHenry County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $206,100 | $286,900 |
| Median property tax | $4,771 | $7,153 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.315% | 2.493% |
| Median gross rent | $1,077 | $1,358 |
| Population | 7,123 | 311,366 |
The weather behind that power bill
Marengo sits in McHenry County, which averages a high of 84.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 14.2°F in its coldest, with 39.35" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 771 cooling and 6,520 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for McHenry County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in McHenry County
Full McHenry County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Marengo?
A $206,000 home in Marengo, Illinois costs approximately $1,991 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,059 principal and interest, $397 property tax, $81 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $172 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Marengo?
Marengo has an effective property tax rate of 2.315%, based on a median home value of $206,100 and median real estate taxes of $4,771. That is lower than the McHenry County average of 2.493%.
What is the average home price in Marengo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Marengo, Illinois is $206,100, against $286,900 across McHenry County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Marengo?
Median gross rent in Marengo is $1,077 a month, against $1,991 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 Marengo — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Illinois.
- 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.