Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Penbrook, Pennsylvania
A $140,000 home here costs
$1,387per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $720. The real number is $667 higher every month — 93% 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.
Penbrook against Dauphin County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Penbrook | Dauphin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $140,000 | $222,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,904 | $3,171 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.074% | 1.426% |
| Median gross rent | $946 | $1,153 |
| Population | 3,260 | 287,484 |
The weather behind that power bill
Penbrook sits in Dauphin County, which averages a high of 83.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.0°F in its coldest, with 50.85" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 642 cooling and 5,860 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dauphin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dauphin County
Full Dauphin County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Penbrook?
A $140,000 home in Penbrook, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,387 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $720 principal and interest, $242 property tax, $47 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $117 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Penbrook?
Penbrook has an effective property tax rate of 2.074%, based on a median home value of $140,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,904. That is higher than the Dauphin County average of 1.426%.
What is the average home price in Penbrook?
The median owner-occupied home value in Penbrook, Pennsylvania is $140,000, against $222,300 across Dauphin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Penbrook?
Median gross rent in Penbrook is $946 a month, against $1,387 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 Penbrook — 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.