Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
A $288,000 home here costs
$2,337per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,481. The real number is $856 higher every month — 58% 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.
Sergeant Bluff against Woodbury County and Iowa
| Measure | Sergeant Bluff | Woodbury County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $287,600 | $172,000 |
| Median property tax | $3,546 | $2,542 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.233% | 1.478% |
| Median gross rent | $1,232 | $946 |
| Population | 5,090 | 105,760 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sergeant Bluff sits in Woodbury County, which averages a high of 85.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.4°F in its coldest, with 29.27" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 866 cooling and 6,860 heating degree days, which is what sets the $127 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Woodbury County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Woodbury County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sergeant Bluff?
A $288,000 home in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa costs approximately $2,337 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,481 principal and interest, $296 property tax, $125 homeowners insurance, $195 utilities and $240 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sergeant Bluff?
Sergeant Bluff has an effective property tax rate of 1.233%, based on a median home value of $287,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,546. That is lower than the Woodbury County average of 1.478%.
What is the average home price in Sergeant Bluff?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa is $287,600, against $172,000 across Woodbury County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sergeant Bluff?
Median gross rent in Sergeant Bluff is $1,232 a month, against $2,337 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 Sergeant Bluff — 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.