Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rochester, Washington
A $392,000 home here costs
$2,897per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,015. The real number is $882 higher every month — 44% 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.
Rochester against Thurston County and Washington
| Measure | Rochester | Thurston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $391,600 | $451,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,535 | $4,043 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.903% | 0.895% |
| Median gross rent | $1,182 | $1,634 |
| Population | 6,025 | 296,640 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rochester sits in Thurston County, which averages a high of 78.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.3°F in its coldest, with 50.62" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 113 cooling and 5,378 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Thurston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Thurston County
Full Thurston County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rochester?
A $392,000 home in Rochester, Washington costs approximately $2,897 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,015 principal and interest, $295 property tax, $58 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $327 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rochester?
Rochester has an effective property tax rate of 0.903%, based on a median home value of $391,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,535. That is in line with the Thurston County average of 0.895%.
What is the average home price in Rochester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rochester, Washington is $391,600, against $451,500 across Thurston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rochester?
Median gross rent in Rochester is $1,182 a month, against $2,897 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 Rochester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.