Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Red Oak, Iowa
A $92,000 home here costs
$944per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $473. The real number is $471 higher every month — 100% 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.
Red Oak against Montgomery County and Iowa
| Measure | Red Oak | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $91,600 | $109,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,898 | $1,968 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.072% | 1.791% |
| Median gross rent | $768 | $782 |
| Population | 5,542 | 10,254 |
The weather behind that power bill
Red Oak sits in Montgomery County, which averages a high of 86.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 12.5°F in its coldest, with 37.24" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,057 cooling and 6,205 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Montgomery County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Montgomery County
Full Montgomery County cost breakdown · Every county in Iowa
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Red Oak?
A $92,000 home in Red Oak, Iowa costs approximately $944 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $473 principal and interest, $159 property tax, $40 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $77 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Red Oak?
Red Oak has an effective property tax rate of 2.072%, based on a median home value of $91,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,898. That is higher than the Montgomery County average of 1.791%.
What is the average home price in Red Oak?
The median owner-occupied home value in Red Oak, Iowa is $91,600, against $109,900 across Montgomery County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Red Oak?
Median gross rent in Red Oak is $768 a month, against $944 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 Red Oak — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Iowa.
- 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.