Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ottawa, Illinois
A $145,000 home here costs
$1,528per 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 $783 higher every month — 105% 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.
Ottawa against LaSalle County and Illinois
| Measure | Ottawa | LaSalle County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,500 | $154,900 |
| Median property tax | $3,861 | $3,336 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.672% | 2.154% |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $906 |
| Population | 18,714 | 109,049 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ottawa sits in LaSalle County, which averages a high of 82.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.2°F in its coldest, with 36.19" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 865 cooling and 6,211 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for LaSalle County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in LaSalle County
Full LaSalle County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ottawa?
A $145,000 home in Ottawa, Illinois costs approximately $1,528 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $745 principal and interest, $323 property tax, $57 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $121 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ottawa?
Ottawa has an effective property tax rate of 2.672%, based on a median home value of $144,500 and median real estate taxes of $3,861. That is higher than the LaSalle County average of 2.154%.
What is the average home price in Ottawa?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ottawa, Illinois is $144,500, against $154,900 across LaSalle County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ottawa?
Median gross rent in Ottawa is $922 a month, against $1,528 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 Ottawa — 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.