Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Star, North Carolina
A $132,000 home here costs
$1,147per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $679. The real number is $469 higher every month — 69% 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.
Star against Montgomery County and North Carolina
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $131,600 | $150,300 |
| Median property tax | $1,280 | $1,057 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.973% | 0.703% |
| Median gross rent | $547 | $753 |
| Population | 1,430 | 25,874 |
The weather behind that power bill
Star sits in Montgomery County, which averages a high of 89.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.6°F in its coldest, with 48.1" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,779 cooling and 3,039 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Montgomery County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Montgomery County
Full Montgomery County cost breakdown · Every county in North Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Star?
A $132,000 home in Star, North Carolina costs approximately $1,147 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $679 principal and interest, $107 property tax, $48 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $110 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Star?
Star has an effective property tax rate of 0.973%, based on a median home value of $131,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,280. That is higher than the Montgomery County average of 0.703%.
What is the average home price in Star?
The median owner-occupied home value in Star, North Carolina is $131,600, against $150,300 across Montgomery County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Star?
Median gross rent in Star is $547 a month, against $1,147 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 Star — 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.