Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in River Falls, Wisconsin
A $300,000 home here costs
$2,498per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,542. The real number is $956 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.
River Falls against St. Croix County and Wisconsin
| Measure | River Falls | St. Croix County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $299,800 | $349,700 |
| Median property tax | $4,596 | $4,297 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.533% | 1.229% |
| Median gross rent | $1,050 | $1,238 |
| Population | 16,349 | 94,819 |
River Falls extends across 2 counties. Figures here use St. Croix County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
River Falls sits in St. Croix County, which averages a high of 79.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 1.8°F in its coldest, with 32.97" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 401 cooling and 8,528 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for St. Croix County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in St. Croix County
Full St. Croix County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in River Falls?
A $300,000 home in River Falls, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,498 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,542 principal and interest, $383 property tax, $77 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $250 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in River Falls?
River Falls has an effective property tax rate of 1.533%, based on a median home value of $299,800 and median real estate taxes of $4,596. That is higher than the St. Croix County average of 1.229%.
What is the average home price in River Falls?
The median owner-occupied home value in River Falls, Wisconsin is $299,800, against $349,700 across St. Croix County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in River Falls?
Median gross rent in River Falls is $1,050 a month, against $2,498 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 River Falls — 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.