Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in McAlester, Oklahoma
A $138,000 home here costs
$1,225per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $709. The real number is $515 higher every month — 73% 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.
McAlester against Pittsburg County and Oklahoma
| Measure | McAlester | Pittsburg County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $137,500 | $146,300 |
| Median property tax | $934 | $756 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.679% | 0.517% |
| Median gross rent | $906 | $857 |
| Population | 18,098 | 43,629 |
The weather behind that power bill
McAlester sits in Pittsburg County, which averages a high of 93.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.2°F in its coldest, with 42.61" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,133 cooling and 3,079 heating degree days, which is what sets the $120 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pittsburg County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pittsburg County
Full Pittsburg County cost breakdown · Every county in Oklahoma
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in McAlester?
A $138,000 home in McAlester, Oklahoma costs approximately $1,225 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $709 principal and interest, $78 property tax, $134 homeowners insurance, $188 utilities and $115 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in McAlester?
McAlester has an effective property tax rate of 0.679%, based on a median home value of $137,500 and median real estate taxes of $934. That is higher than the Pittsburg County average of 0.517%.
What is the average home price in McAlester?
The median owner-occupied home value in McAlester, Oklahoma is $137,500, against $146,300 across Pittsburg County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in McAlester?
Median gross rent in McAlester is $906 a month, against $1,225 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 McAlester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Oklahoma.
- 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.