Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Wathena, Kansas
A $155,000 home here costs
$1,360per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $797. The real number is $563 higher every month — 71% 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.
Wathena against Doniphan County and Kansas
| Measure | Wathena | Doniphan County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $154,800 | $121,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,672 | $1,406 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.080% | 1.160% |
| Median gross rent | $794 | $801 |
| Population | 1,463 | 7,492 |
The weather behind that power bill
Wathena sits in Doniphan County, which averages a high of 86.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.0°F in its coldest, with 36.84" of precipitation a year and 40% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,200 cooling and 5,493 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Doniphan County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Doniphan County
Full Doniphan County cost breakdown · Every county in Kansas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Wathena?
A $155,000 home in Wathena, Kansas costs approximately $1,360 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $797 principal and interest, $140 property tax, $90 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $129 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Wathena?
Wathena has an effective property tax rate of 1.080%, based on a median home value of $154,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,672. That is lower than the Doniphan County average of 1.160%.
What is the average home price in Wathena?
The median owner-occupied home value in Wathena, Kansas is $154,800, against $121,200 across Doniphan County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wathena?
Median gross rent in Wathena is $794 a month, against $1,360 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 Wathena — 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.