Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Potsdam, New York
A $144,000 home here costs
$1,675per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $740. The real number is $935 higher every month — 126% 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.
Potsdam against St. Lawrence County and New York
| Measure | Potsdam | St. Lawrence County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $144,200 | $119,800 |
| Median property tax | $5,363 | $2,735 |
| Effective tax rate | 3.719% | 2.283% |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $799 |
| Population | 8,507 | 107,796 |
The weather behind that power bill
Potsdam sits in St. Lawrence County, which averages a high of 79.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 6.6°F in its coldest, with 38.19" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 431 cooling and 7,844 heating degree days, which is what sets the $269 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Lawrence County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Lawrence County
Full St. Lawrence County cost breakdown · Every county in New York
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Potsdam?
A $144,000 home in Potsdam, New York costs approximately $1,675 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $740 principal and interest, $446 property tax, $32 homeowners insurance, $337 utilities and $120 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Potsdam?
Potsdam has an effective property tax rate of 3.719%, based on a median home value of $144,200 and median real estate taxes of $5,363. That is higher than the St. Lawrence County average of 2.283%.
What is the average home price in Potsdam?
The median owner-occupied home value in Potsdam, New York is $144,200, against $119,800 across St. Lawrence County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Potsdam?
Median gross rent in Potsdam is $819 a month, against $1,675 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 Potsdam — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for New York.
- 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.