Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rock Rapids, Iowa
A $208,000 home here costs
$1,729per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,069. The real number is $660 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.
Rock Rapids against Lyon County and Iowa
| Measure | Rock Rapids | Lyon County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $207,700 | $215,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,407 | $1,983 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.159% | 0.920% |
| Median gross rent | $763 | $802 |
| Population | 2,653 | 12,087 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rock Rapids sits in Lyon County, which averages a high of 84.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 6.1°F in its coldest, with 29.27" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 753 cooling and 7,624 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lyon County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lyon County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rock Rapids?
A $208,000 home in Rock Rapids, Iowa costs approximately $1,729 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,069 principal and interest, $201 property tax, $90 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $173 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rock Rapids?
Rock Rapids has an effective property tax rate of 1.159%, based on a median home value of $207,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,407. That is higher than the Lyon County average of 0.920%.
What is the average home price in Rock Rapids?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rock Rapids, Iowa is $207,700, against $215,600 across Lyon County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rock Rapids?
Median gross rent in Rock Rapids is $763 a month, against $1,729 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 Rock Rapids — 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.