Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sterling, Kansas
A $130,000 home here costs
$1,231per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $668. The real number is $562 higher every month — 84% 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.
Sterling against Rice County and Kansas
| Measure | Sterling | Rice County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $130,200 | $105,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,094 | $1,636 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.608% | 1.551% |
| Median gross rent | $618 | $717 |
| Population | 2,396 | 9,389 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sterling sits in Rice County, which averages a high of 92.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.5°F in its coldest, with 29" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,585 cooling and 5,028 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Rice County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Rice County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sterling?
A $130,000 home in Sterling, Kansas costs approximately $1,231 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $668 principal and interest, $174 property tax, $76 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $108 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sterling?
Sterling has an effective property tax rate of 1.608%, based on a median home value of $130,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,094. That is higher than the Rice County average of 1.551%.
What is the average home price in Sterling?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sterling, Kansas is $130,200, against $105,500 across Rice County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sterling?
Median gross rent in Sterling is $618 a month, against $1,231 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 Sterling — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- 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.