Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Preston, Minnesota
A $170,000 home here costs
$1,462per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $874. The real number is $588 higher every month — 67% 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.
Preston against Fillmore County and Minnesota
| Measure | Preston | Fillmore County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,600 | $204,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,825 | $1,932 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.076% | 0.947% |
| Median gross rent | $649 | $763 |
| Population | 1,315 | 21,346 |
The weather behind that power bill
Preston sits in Fillmore County, which averages a high of 81.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 4.1°F in its coldest, with 36.78" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 452 cooling and 8,153 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Fillmore County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Fillmore County
Full Fillmore County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Preston?
A $170,000 home in Preston, Minnesota costs approximately $1,462 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $874 principal and interest, $152 property tax, $74 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $142 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Preston?
Preston has an effective property tax rate of 1.076%, based on a median home value of $169,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,825. That is higher than the Fillmore County average of 0.947%.
What is the average home price in Preston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Preston, Minnesota is $169,600, against $204,000 across Fillmore County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Preston?
Median gross rent in Preston is $649 a month, against $1,462 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 Preston — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.