Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Mountain Home, Idaho
A $271,000 home here costs
$2,004per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,393. The real number is $611 higher every month — 44% 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.
Mountain Home against Elmore County and Idaho
| Measure | Mountain Home | Elmore County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $270,700 | $278,300 |
| Median property tax | $1,844 | $1,680 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.681% | 0.604% |
| Median gross rent | $1,061 | $1,111 |
| Population | 16,265 | 29,046 |
The weather behind that power bill
Mountain Home sits in Elmore County, which averages a high of 92.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 25.4°F in its coldest, with 11.51" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,045 cooling and 5,321 heating degree days, which is what sets the $111 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Elmore County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Elmore County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Mountain Home?
A $271,000 home in Mountain Home, Idaho costs approximately $2,004 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,393 principal and interest, $154 property tax, $53 homeowners insurance, $179 utilities and $226 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Mountain Home?
Mountain Home has an effective property tax rate of 0.681%, based on a median home value of $270,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,844. That is higher than the Elmore County average of 0.604%.
What is the average home price in Mountain Home?
The median owner-occupied home value in Mountain Home, Idaho is $270,700, against $278,300 across Elmore County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Mountain Home?
Median gross rent in Mountain Home is $1,061 a month, against $2,004 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 Mountain Home — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Idaho.
- 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.