Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Palmerton, Pennsylvania
A $162,000 home here costs
$1,517per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $833. The real number is $684 higher every month — 82% 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.
Palmerton against Carbon County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Palmerton | Carbon County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $161,500 | $193,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,788 | $2,914 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.726% | 1.504% |
| Median gross rent | $913 | $975 |
| Population | 5,624 | 65,191 |
The weather behind that power bill
Palmerton sits in Carbon County, which averages a high of 81.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.7°F in its coldest, with 51.89" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 581 cooling and 6,027 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Carbon County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Carbon County
Full Carbon County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Palmerton?
A $162,000 home in Palmerton, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,517 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $833 principal and interest, $233 property tax, $54 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $135 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Palmerton?
Palmerton has an effective property tax rate of 1.726%, based on a median home value of $161,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,788. That is higher than the Carbon County average of 1.504%.
What is the average home price in Palmerton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Palmerton, Pennsylvania is $161,500, against $193,700 across Carbon County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Palmerton?
Median gross rent in Palmerton is $913 a month, against $1,517 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 Palmerton — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- 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.