Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Onalaska, Wisconsin
A $279,000 home here costs
$2,350per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,434. The real number is $916 higher every month — 64% 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.
Onalaska against La Crosse County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Onalaska | La Crosse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $279,100 | $243,200 |
| Median property tax | $4,395 | $3,963 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.575% | 1.630% |
| Median gross rent | $1,096 | $1,023 |
| Population | 18,909 | 120,262 |
The weather behind that power bill
Onalaska sits in La Crosse County, which averages a high of 85.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.5°F in its coldest, with 35.23" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 942 cooling and 6,788 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for La Crosse County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in La Crosse County
Full La Crosse County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Onalaska?
A $279,000 home in Onalaska, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,350 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,434 principal and interest, $366 property tax, $72 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $233 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Onalaska?
Onalaska has an effective property tax rate of 1.575%, based on a median home value of $279,100 and median real estate taxes of $4,395. That is lower than the La Crosse County average of 1.630%.
What is the average home price in Onalaska?
The median owner-occupied home value in Onalaska, Wisconsin is $279,100, against $243,200 across La Crosse County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Onalaska?
Median gross rent in Onalaska is $1,096 a month, against $2,350 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 Onalaska — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- 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.