Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Oakland, Iowa
A $145,000 home here costs
$1,280per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $745. The real number is $534 higher every month — 72% 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.
Oakland against Pottawattamie County and Iowa
| Measure | Oakland | Pottawattamie County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,600 | $183,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,856 | $2,961 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.284% | 1.613% |
| Median gross rent | $856 | $970 |
| Population | 1,500 | 93,407 |
The weather behind that power bill
Oakland sits in Pottawattamie County, which averages a high of 84.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.8°F in its coldest, with 36.43" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 914 cooling and 6,555 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pottawattamie County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pottawattamie County
Full Pottawattamie County cost breakdown · Every county in Iowa
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Oakland?
A $145,000 home in Oakland, Iowa costs approximately $1,280 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $745 principal and interest, $155 property tax, $63 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $121 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Oakland?
Oakland has an effective property tax rate of 1.284%, based on a median home value of $144,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,856. That is lower than the Pottawattamie County average of 1.613%.
What is the average home price in Oakland?
The median owner-occupied home value in Oakland, Iowa is $144,600, against $183,600 across Pottawattamie County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Oakland?
Median gross rent in Oakland is $856 a month, against $1,280 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 Oakland — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.