Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Santa Claus, Indiana
A $247,000 home here costs
$1,940per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,270. The real number is $670 higher every month — 53% 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.
Santa Claus against Spencer County and Indiana
| Measure | Santa Claus | Spencer County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $247,400 | $180,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,532 | $1,138 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.619% | 0.632% |
| Median gross rent | $1,275 | $697 |
| Population | 2,822 | 19,871 |
The weather behind that power bill
Santa Claus sits in Spencer County, which averages a high of 85.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 25.8°F in its coldest, with 51.28" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,215 cooling and 4,572 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Spencer County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Spencer County
Full Spencer County cost breakdown · Every county in Indiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Santa Claus?
A $247,000 home in Santa Claus, Indiana costs approximately $1,940 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,270 principal and interest, $127 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $206 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Santa Claus?
Santa Claus has an effective property tax rate of 0.619%, based on a median home value of $247,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,532. That is lower than the Spencer County average of 0.632%.
What is the average home price in Santa Claus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Santa Claus, Indiana is $247,400, against $180,200 across Spencer County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Santa Claus?
Median gross rent in Santa Claus is $1,275 a month, against $1,940 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 Santa Claus — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- 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.