Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Merlin, Oregon
A $419,000 home here costs
$2,922per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,154. The real number is $768 higher every month — 36% 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.
Merlin against Josephine County and Oregon
| Measure | Merlin | Josephine County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $419,100 | $383,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,731 | $2,023 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.413% | 0.528% |
| Median gross rent | $1,090 | $1,157 |
| Population | 1,355 | 88,069 |
The weather behind that power bill
Merlin sits in Josephine County, which averages a high of 76.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.3°F in its coldest, with 40.66" of precipitation a year and 50% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 276 cooling and 6,116 heating degree days, which is what sets the $146 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Josephine County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Josephine County
Full Josephine County cost breakdown · Every county in Oregon
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Merlin?
A $419,000 home in Merlin, Oregon costs approximately $2,922 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,154 principal and interest, $144 property tax, $60 homeowners insurance, $214 utilities and $349 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Merlin?
Merlin has an effective property tax rate of 0.413%, based on a median home value of $419,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,731. That is lower than the Josephine County average of 0.528%.
What is the average home price in Merlin?
The median owner-occupied home value in Merlin, Oregon is $419,100, against $383,100 across Josephine County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Merlin?
Median gross rent in Merlin is $1,090 a month, against $2,922 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 Merlin — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Oregon.
- 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.