Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sandstone, Minnesota
A $138,000 home here costs
$1,241per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $709. The real number is $532 higher every month — 75% 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.
Sandstone against Pine County and Minnesota
| Measure | Sandstone | Pine County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $137,500 | $225,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,630 | $1,973 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.185% | 0.875% |
| Median gross rent | $1,011 | $873 |
| Population | 2,538 | 29,411 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sandstone sits in Pine County, which averages a high of 78.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 2.2°F in its coldest, with 33.34" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 266 cooling and 8,836 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pine County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pine County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sandstone?
A $138,000 home in Sandstone, Minnesota costs approximately $1,241 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $709 principal and interest, $136 property tax, $60 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $115 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sandstone?
Sandstone has an effective property tax rate of 1.185%, based on a median home value of $137,500 and median real estate taxes of $1,630. That is higher than the Pine County average of 0.875%.
What is the average home price in Sandstone?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sandstone, Minnesota is $137,500, against $225,600 across Pine County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sandstone?
Median gross rent in Sandstone is $1,011 a month, against $1,241 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 Sandstone — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.