Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Portage, Pennsylvania
A $89,000 home here costs
$911per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $458. The real number is $453 higher every month — 99% 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.
Portage against Cambria County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Portage | Cambria County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $88,800 | $115,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,050 | $1,487 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.182% | 1.283% |
| Median gross rent | $622 | $733 |
| Population | 2,477 | 132,355 |
The weather behind that power bill
Portage sits in Cambria County, which averages a high of 78.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.9°F in its coldest, with 48.68" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 294 cooling and 6,963 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cambria County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cambria County
Full Cambria County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Portage?
A $89,000 home in Portage, Pennsylvania costs approximately $911 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $458 principal and interest, $88 property tax, $30 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $74 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Portage?
Portage has an effective property tax rate of 1.182%, based on a median home value of $88,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,050. That is lower than the Cambria County average of 1.283%.
What is the average home price in Portage?
The median owner-occupied home value in Portage, Pennsylvania is $88,800, against $115,900 across Cambria County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Portage?
Median gross rent in Portage is $622 a month, against $911 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 Portage — 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.