Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ralston, Nebraska
A $216,000 home here costs
$1,930per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,110. The real number is $819 higher every month — 74% 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.
Ralston against Douglas County and Nebraska
| Measure | Ralston | Douglas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $215,800 | $245,800 |
| Median property tax | $3,752 | $4,295 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.739% | 1.747% |
| Median gross rent | $1,178 | $1,162 |
| Population | 6,445 | 585,461 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ralston sits in Douglas County, which averages a high of 85.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 14.0°F in its coldest, with 33.17" of precipitation a year and 42% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,044 cooling and 6,209 heating degree days, which is what sets the $122 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Douglas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Douglas County
Full Douglas County cost breakdown · Every county in Nebraska
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ralston?
A $216,000 home in Ralston, Nebraska costs approximately $1,930 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,110 principal and interest, $313 property tax, $136 homeowners insurance, $190 utilities and $180 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ralston?
Ralston has an effective property tax rate of 1.739%, based on a median home value of $215,800 and median real estate taxes of $3,752. That is in line with the Douglas County average of 1.747%.
What is the average home price in Ralston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ralston, Nebraska is $215,800, against $245,800 across Douglas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ralston?
Median gross rent in Ralston is $1,178 a month, against $1,930 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 Ralston — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Nebraska.
- 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.