Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in St. Stephens, North Carolina
A $188,000 home here costs
$1,476per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $967. The real number is $509 higher every month — 53% 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. Stephens against Catawba County and North Carolina
| Measure | St. Stephens | Catawba County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $187,500 | $218,100 |
| Median property tax | $968 | $1,319 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.516% | 0.605% |
| Median gross rent | $864 | $891 |
| Population | 9,409 | 162,051 |
The weather behind that power bill
St. Stephens sits in Catawba County, which averages a high of 88.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.3°F in its coldest, with 46.62" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,556 cooling and 3,297 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Catawba County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Catawba County
Full Catawba County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in St. Stephens?
A $188,000 home in St. Stephens, North Carolina costs approximately $1,476 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $967 principal and interest, $81 property tax, $68 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $157 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in St. Stephens?
St. Stephens has an effective property tax rate of 0.516%, based on a median home value of $187,500 and median real estate taxes of $968. That is lower than the Catawba County average of 0.605%.
What is the average home price in St. Stephens?
The median owner-occupied home value in St. Stephens, North Carolina is $187,500, against $218,100 across Catawba County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in St. Stephens?
Median gross rent in St. Stephens is $864 a month, against $1,476 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. Stephens — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Carolina.
- 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.