Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waterloo, Indiana
A $109,000 home here costs
$1,000per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $560. The real number is $439 higher every month — 78% 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.
Waterloo against DeKalb County and Indiana
| Measure | Waterloo | DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $108,600 | $177,900 |
| Median property tax | $846 | $1,117 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.779% | 0.628% |
| Median gross rent | $829 | $828 |
| Population | 2,180 | 43,584 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waterloo sits in DeKalb County, which averages a high of 80.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.5°F in its coldest, with 39.52" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 541 cooling and 6,590 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for DeKalb County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in DeKalb County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waterloo?
A $109,000 home in Waterloo, Indiana costs approximately $1,000 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $560 principal and interest, $71 property tax, $47 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $91 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waterloo?
Waterloo has an effective property tax rate of 0.779%, based on a median home value of $108,600 and median real estate taxes of $846. That is higher than the DeKalb County average of 0.628%.
What is the average home price in Waterloo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waterloo, Indiana is $108,600, against $177,900 across DeKalb County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waterloo?
Median gross rent in Waterloo is $829 a month, against $1,000 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 Waterloo — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- 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.