Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Mount Sterling, Illinois
A $118,000 home here costs
$1,194per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $607. The real number is $588 higher every month — 97% 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.
Mount Sterling against Brown County and Illinois
| Measure | Mount Sterling | Brown County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $118,100 | $142,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,932 | $2,090 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.636% | 1.470% |
| Median gross rent | $712 | $724 |
| Population | 1,949 | 6,320 |
The weather behind that power bill
Mount Sterling sits in Brown County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.8°F in its coldest, with 39.07" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,169 cooling and 5,406 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Brown County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Brown County
No other places of this size are published in Brown County.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Mount Sterling?
A $118,000 home in Mount Sterling, Illinois costs approximately $1,194 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $607 principal and interest, $161 property tax, $46 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $98 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Mount Sterling?
Mount Sterling has an effective property tax rate of 1.636%, based on a median home value of $118,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,932. That is higher than the Brown County average of 1.470%.
What is the average home price in Mount Sterling?
The median owner-occupied home value in Mount Sterling, Illinois is $118,100, against $142,200 across Brown County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mount Sterling?
Median gross rent in Mount Sterling is $712 a month, against $1,194 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 Mount Sterling — 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.