Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in St. Cloud, Minnesota
A $213,000 home here costs
$1,769per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,095. The real number is $674 higher every month — 62% 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.
St. Cloud against Stearns County and Minnesota
| Measure | St. Cloud | Stearns County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $212,800 | $256,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,199 | $2,617 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.033% | 1.020% |
| Median gross rent | $1,005 | $1,057 |
| Population | 69,926 | 159,358 |
St. Cloud extends across 3 counties. Figures here use Stearns County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
St. Cloud sits in Stearns County, which averages a high of 80.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 3.8°F in its coldest, with 31.04" of precipitation a year and 41% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 506 cooling and 8,305 heating degree days, which is what sets the $152 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Stearns County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Stearns County
Full Stearns County cost breakdown · Every county in Minnesota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in St. Cloud?
A $213,000 home in St. Cloud, Minnesota costs approximately $1,769 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,095 principal and interest, $183 property tax, $92 homeowners insurance, $220 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in St. Cloud?
St. Cloud has an effective property tax rate of 1.033%, based on a median home value of $212,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,199. That is higher than the Stearns County average of 1.020%.
What is the average home price in St. Cloud?
The median owner-occupied home value in St. Cloud, Minnesota is $212,800, against $256,500 across Stearns County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in St. Cloud?
Median gross rent in St. Cloud is $1,005 a month, against $1,769 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 St. Cloud — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Minnesota.
- 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.