Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waite Park, Minnesota
A $217,000 home here costs
$1,886per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.40% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $81,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,202. The real number is $684 higher every month, 57% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Stearns County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Waite Park against Stearns County and Minnesota
| Measure | Waite Park | Stearns County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $217,000 | $256,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,603 | $2,617 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.200% | 1.020% |
| Median gross rent | $1,072 | $1,057 |
| Population | 8,341 | 159,358 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waite Park 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 $124 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
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Waite Park averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Waite Park every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Waite Park I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waite Park?
A $217,000 home in Waite Park, Minnesota costs approximately $1,886 per month with 20% down at 7.4%. That is $1,202 principal and interest, $217 property tax, $94 homeowners insurance, $192 utilities and $181 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waite Park?
Waite Park has an effective property tax rate of 1.200%, based on a median home value of $217,000 and median real estate taxes of $2,603. That is higher than the Stearns County average of 1.020%.
What is the average home price in Waite Park?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waite Park, Minnesota is $217,000, against $256,500 across Stearns County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waite Park?
Median gross rent in Waite Park is $1,072 a month, against $1,886 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Waite Park?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Waite Park, Minnesota at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $81,000 a year. That covers the full $1,886 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Waite Park, 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.