Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sparta, Wisconsin
A $169,000 home here costs
$1,546per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $869. The real number is $677 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.
Sparta against Monroe County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Sparta | Monroe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $168,800 | $197,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,959 | $2,801 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.753% | 1.420% |
| Median gross rent | $902 | $920 |
| Population | 9,921 | 46,169 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sparta sits in Monroe County, which averages a high of 82.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 5.6°F in its coldest, with 35.59" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 536 cooling and 7,935 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Monroe County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Monroe County
Full Monroe County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sparta?
A $169,000 home in Sparta, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,546 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $869 principal and interest, $247 property tax, $44 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $141 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sparta?
Sparta has an effective property tax rate of 1.753%, based on a median home value of $168,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,959. That is higher than the Monroe County average of 1.420%.
What is the average home price in Sparta?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sparta, Wisconsin is $168,800, against $197,200 across Monroe County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sparta?
Median gross rent in Sparta is $902 a month, against $1,546 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 Wisconsin.
- 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.