Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waterville, Washington
A $247,000 home here costs
$1,887per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,270. The real number is $617 higher every month — 49% 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.
Waterville against Douglas County and Washington
| Measure | Waterville | Douglas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $247,300 | $402,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,066 | $3,168 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.835% | 0.786% |
| Median gross rent | $1,533 | $1,234 |
| Population | 1,353 | 43,733 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waterville sits in Douglas County, which averages a high of 89.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.5°F in its coldest, with 7.58" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 843 cooling and 5,753 heating degree days, which is what sets the $134 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Douglas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Douglas County
Full Douglas County cost breakdown · Every county in Washington
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waterville?
A $247,000 home in Waterville, Washington costs approximately $1,887 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,270 principal and interest, $172 property tax, $37 homeowners insurance, $202 utilities and $206 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waterville?
Waterville has an effective property tax rate of 0.835%, based on a median home value of $247,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,066. That is higher than the Douglas County average of 0.786%.
What is the average home price in Waterville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waterville, Washington is $247,300, against $402,900 across Douglas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waterville?
Median gross rent in Waterville is $1,533 a month, against $1,887 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 Waterville — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Washington.
- 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.