Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ottawa, Kansas
A $166,000 home here costs
$1,530per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $853. The real number is $677 higher every month — 79% 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 Franklin County and Kansas
| Measure | Ottawa | Franklin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $165,700 | $187,400 |
| Median property tax | $2,847 | $2,737 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.718% | 1.461% |
| Median gross rent | $949 | $949 |
| Population | 12,632 | 25,994 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ottawa sits in Franklin County, which averages a high of 89.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.2°F in its coldest, with 39.85" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,337 cooling and 5,130 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Franklin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Franklin County
Full Franklin County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ottawa?
A $166,000 home in Ottawa, Kansas costs approximately $1,530 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $853 principal and interest, $238 property tax, $97 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $138 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ottawa?
Ottawa has an effective property tax rate of 1.718%, based on a median home value of $165,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,847. That is higher than the Franklin County average of 1.461%.
What is the average home price in Ottawa?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ottawa, Kansas is $165,700, against $187,400 across Franklin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ottawa?
Median gross rent in Ottawa is $949 a month, against $1,530 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 Kansas.
- 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.