Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Valley Falls, Kansas
A $118,000 home here costs
$1,154per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $607. The real number is $547 higher every month — 90% 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.
Valley Falls against Jefferson County and Kansas
| Measure | Valley Falls | Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $118,200 | $200,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,117 | $2,562 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.791% | 1.276% |
| Median gross rent | $734 | $844 |
| Population | 1,305 | 18,391 |
The weather behind that power bill
Valley Falls sits in Jefferson County, which averages a high of 89.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.9°F in its coldest, with 38.34" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,395 cooling and 5,193 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Jefferson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Jefferson County
Full Jefferson County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Valley Falls?
A $118,000 home in Valley Falls, Kansas costs approximately $1,154 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $607 principal and interest, $176 property tax, $69 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $98 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Valley Falls?
Valley Falls has an effective property tax rate of 1.791%, based on a median home value of $118,200 and median real estate taxes of $2,117. That is higher than the Jefferson County average of 1.276%.
What is the average home price in Valley Falls?
The median owner-occupied home value in Valley Falls, Kansas is $118,200, against $200,800 across Jefferson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Valley Falls?
Median gross rent in Valley Falls is $734 a month, against $1,154 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 Valley Falls — 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.