Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Mercer Island, Washington
A $1,884,000 home here costs
$12,571per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $9,686. The real number is $2,886 higher every month — 30% 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.
Mercer Island against King County and Washington
| Measure | Mercer Island | King County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,884,200 | $811,200 |
| Median property tax | $10,001 | $6,785 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.531% | 0.836% |
| Median gross rent | $2,464 | $2,035 |
| Population | 25,282 | 2,262,713 |
The weather behind that power bill
Mercer Island sits in King County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.3°F in its coldest, with 63.28" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 151 cooling and 4,991 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for King County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in King County
Full King County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Mercer Island?
A $1,884,000 home in Mercer Island, Washington costs approximately $12,571 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $9,686 principal and interest, $834 property tax, $279 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $1,570 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Mercer Island?
Mercer Island has an effective property tax rate of 0.531%, based on a median home value of $1,884,200 and median real estate taxes of $10,001. That is lower than the King County average of 0.836%.
What is the average home price in Mercer Island?
The median owner-occupied home value in Mercer Island, Washington is $1,884,200, against $811,200 across King County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mercer Island?
Median gross rent in Mercer Island is $2,464 a month, against $12,571 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 Mercer Island — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.