Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rensselaer, Indiana
A $149,000 home here costs
$1,244per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $766. The real number is $478 higher every month — 62% 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.
Rensselaer against Jasper County and Indiana
| Measure | Rensselaer | Jasper County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $149,100 | $204,400 |
| Median property tax | $704 | $998 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.472% | 0.488% |
| Median gross rent | $868 | $926 |
| Population | 5,369 | 33,198 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rensselaer sits in Jasper County, which averages a high of 83.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.1°F in its coldest, with 40.09" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 891 cooling and 6,148 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Jasper County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Jasper County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rensselaer?
A $149,000 home in Rensselaer, Indiana costs approximately $1,244 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $766 principal and interest, $59 property tax, $64 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $124 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rensselaer?
Rensselaer has an effective property tax rate of 0.472%, based on a median home value of $149,100 and median real estate taxes of $704. That is lower than the Jasper County average of 0.488%.
What is the average home price in Rensselaer?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rensselaer, Indiana is $149,100, against $204,400 across Jasper County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rensselaer?
Median gross rent in Rensselaer is $868 a month, against $1,244 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 Rensselaer — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- 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.