Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Plains, Kansas
A $128,000 home here costs
$1,182per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $658. The real number is $524 higher every month — 80% 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.
Plains against Meade County and Kansas
| Measure | Plains | Meade County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $127,700 | $122,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,661 | $1,858 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.301% | 1.523% |
| Median gross rent | $785 | $799 |
| Population | 1,308 | 3,949 |
The weather behind that power bill
Plains sits in Meade County, which averages a high of 94.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.6°F in its coldest, with 23.04" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,474 cooling and 4,924 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Meade County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Meade County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Plains?
A $128,000 home in Plains, Kansas costs approximately $1,182 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $658 principal and interest, $139 property tax, $75 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $107 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Plains?
Plains has an effective property tax rate of 1.301%, based on a median home value of $127,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,661. That is lower than the Meade County average of 1.523%.
What is the average home price in Plains?
The median owner-occupied home value in Plains, Kansas is $127,700, against $122,000 across Meade County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Plains?
Median gross rent in Plains is $785 a month, against $1,182 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 Plains — 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.