Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Plains, Pennsylvania
A $142,000 home here costs
$1,343per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $730. The real number is $613 higher every month — 84% 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 Luzerne County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Plains | Luzerne County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $141,800 | $163,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,218 | $2,506 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.564% | 1.530% |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $958 |
| Population | 4,369 | 325,978 |
The weather behind that power bill
Plains sits in Luzerne County, which averages a high of 84.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.3°F in its coldest, with 38.72" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 791 cooling and 5,740 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Luzerne County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Luzerne County
Full Luzerne County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Plains?
A $142,000 home in Plains, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,343 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $730 principal and interest, $185 property tax, $47 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $118 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Plains?
Plains has an effective property tax rate of 1.564%, based on a median home value of $141,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,218. That is higher than the Luzerne County average of 1.530%.
What is the average home price in Plains?
The median owner-occupied home value in Plains, Pennsylvania is $141,800, against $163,800 across Luzerne County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Plains?
Median gross rent in Plains is $950 a month, against $1,343 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 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.