Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sisters, Oregon
A $586,000 home here costs
$4,380per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.40% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $187,500 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,246. The real number is $1,134 higher every month, 35% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Deschutes County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Small-place caveat: the Census publishes these figures for Sisters from a five-year rolling sample, and with about 3,018 residents that sample is small. The median home value here carries a much wider margin of error than a big-city figure does, so treat it as indicative rather than exact. The Deschutes County figures are drawn from a far larger sample if you want a steadier number.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Sisters against Deschutes County and Oregon
| Measure | Sisters | Deschutes County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $586,000 | $596,000 |
| Median property tax | $4,230 | $3,670 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.722% | 0.616% |
| Median gross rent | $1,414 | $1,674 |
| Population | 3,018 | 203,026 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sisters sits in Deschutes County, which averages a high of 84.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.0°F in its coldest, with 19.12" of precipitation a year and 44% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 85 cooling and 7,661 heating degree days, which is what sets the $141 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Deschutes County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Deschutes County
Full Deschutes County cost breakdown · Every county in Oregon
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Sisters averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Sisters every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Sisters I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sisters?
A $586,000 home in Sisters, Oregon costs approximately $4,380 per month with 20% down at 7.4%. That is $3,246 principal and interest, $353 property tax, $84 homeowners insurance, $209 utilities and $488 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sisters?
Sisters has an effective property tax rate of 0.722%, based on a median home value of $586,000 and median real estate taxes of $4,230. That is higher than the Deschutes County average of 0.616%.
What is the average home price in Sisters?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sisters, Oregon is $586,000, against $596,000 across Deschutes County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sisters?
Median gross rent in Sisters is $1,414 a month, against $4,380 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Sisters?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Sisters, Oregon at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $187,500 a year. That covers the full $4,380 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Sisters, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for Oregon.
- 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.