Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in South Carthage, Tennessee
A $196,000 home here costs
$1,549per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,008. The real number is $541 higher every month — 54% 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.
South Carthage against Smith County and Tennessee
| Measure | South Carthage | Smith County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $195,800 | $224,500 |
| Median property tax | $1,164 | $1,047 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.594% | 0.466% |
| Median gross rent | $832 | $877 |
| Population | 2,049 | 20,196 |
The weather behind that power bill
South Carthage sits in Smith County, which averages a high of 89.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.0°F in its coldest, with 52.51" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,456 cooling and 3,807 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Smith County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Smith County
Full Smith County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in South Carthage?
A $196,000 home in South Carthage, Tennessee costs approximately $1,549 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,008 principal and interest, $97 property tax, $82 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $163 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in South Carthage?
South Carthage has an effective property tax rate of 0.594%, based on a median home value of $195,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,164. That is higher than the Smith County average of 0.466%.
What is the average home price in South Carthage?
The median owner-occupied home value in South Carthage, Tennessee is $195,800, against $224,500 across Smith County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South Carthage?
Median gross rent in South Carthage is $832 a month, against $1,549 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 South Carthage — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Tennessee.
- 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.