Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Shields, Michigan
A $173,000 home here costs
$1,580per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $889. The real number is $691 higher every month — 78% 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.
Shields against Saginaw County and Michigan
| Measure | Shields | Saginaw County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,300 | $139,400 |
| Median property tax | $2,599 | $2,190 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.500% | 1.571% |
| Median gross rent | $937 | $921 |
| Population | 7,276 | 189,210 |
The weather behind that power bill
Shields sits in Saginaw County, which averages a high of 82.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.4°F in its coldest, with 32.12" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 631 cooling and 6,782 heating degree days, which is what sets the $198 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Saginaw County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Saginaw County
Full Saginaw County cost breakdown · Every county in Michigan
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Shields?
A $173,000 home in Shields, Michigan costs approximately $1,580 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $889 principal and interest, $216 property tax, $65 homeowners insurance, $266 utilities and $144 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Shields?
Shields has an effective property tax rate of 1.500%, based on a median home value of $173,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,599. That is lower than the Saginaw County average of 1.571%.
What is the average home price in Shields?
The median owner-occupied home value in Shields, Michigan is $173,300, against $139,400 across Saginaw County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Shields?
Median gross rent in Shields is $937 a month, against $1,580 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 Shields — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Michigan.
- 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.