Cost to Own
United StatesTennesseeWhite CountySparta Population 4,915 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Sparta, Tennessee

A $201,000 home here costs

$1,562

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,033. The real number is $529 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Sparta median: $200,600
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $160,800 borrowed $1,033
Property tax0.471% effective rate for Sparta itself $79
Homeowners insuranceTennessee averages $1,368/yr (NAIC), or 0.505% of home value $85
Electricity14.47¢/kWh — Tennessee residential average, EIA $130
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $168
Total monthly $1,562

Sparta against White County and Tennessee

MeasureSpartaWhite County
Median home value$200,600$190,200
Median property tax$944$809
Effective tax rate0.471%0.425%
Median gross rent$745$838
Population4,91527,764

The weather behind that power bill

Sparta sits in White County, which averages a high of 87.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.8°F in its coldest, with 58.69" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,370 cooling and 3,879 heating degree days, which is what sets the $130 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for White County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in White County

No other places of this size are published in White County.

Full White County cost breakdown · Every county in Tennessee

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Sparta?

A $201,000 home in Sparta, Tennessee costs approximately $1,562 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,033 principal and interest, $79 property tax, $85 homeowners insurance, $198 utilities and $168 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Sparta?

Sparta has an effective property tax rate of 0.471%, based on a median home value of $200,600 and median real estate taxes of $944. That is higher than the White County average of 0.425%.

What is the average home price in Sparta?

The median owner-occupied home value in Sparta, Tennessee is $200,600, against $190,200 across White County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sparta?

Median gross rent in Sparta is $745 a month, against $1,562 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 Sparta — 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.

Full methodology