Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rice Lake, Wisconsin
A $178,000 home here costs
$1,618per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $915. The real number is $703 higher every month — 77% 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.
Rice Lake against Barron County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Rice Lake | Barron County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $178,100 | $198,300 |
| Median property tax | $3,167 | $2,823 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.778% | 1.424% |
| Median gross rent | $834 | $859 |
| Population | 9,030 | 46,741 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rice Lake sits in Barron County, which averages a high of 81.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 1.7°F in its coldest, with 31.43" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 473 cooling and 8,464 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Barron County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Barron County
Full Barron County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rice Lake?
A $178,000 home in Rice Lake, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,618 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $915 principal and interest, $264 property tax, $46 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $148 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rice Lake?
Rice Lake has an effective property tax rate of 1.778%, based on a median home value of $178,100 and median real estate taxes of $3,167. That is higher than the Barron County average of 1.424%.
What is the average home price in Rice Lake?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rice Lake, Wisconsin is $178,100, against $198,300 across Barron County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rice Lake?
Median gross rent in Rice Lake is $834 a month, against $1,618 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 Rice Lake — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- 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.