Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waukesha, Wisconsin
A $287,000 home here costs
$2,403per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,475. The real number is $928 higher every month — 63% 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.
Waukesha against Waukesha County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Waukesha | Waukesha County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $286,600 | $373,600 |
| Median property tax | $4,424 | $4,525 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.544% | 1.211% |
| Median gross rent | $1,183 | $1,300 |
| Population | 70,779 | 409,040 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waukesha sits in Waukesha County, which averages a high of 81.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.6°F in its coldest, with 35.95" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 559 cooling and 7,247 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Waukesha County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Waukesha County
Full Waukesha County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waukesha?
A $287,000 home in Waukesha, Wisconsin costs approximately $2,403 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,475 principal and interest, $369 property tax, $74 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $239 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waukesha?
Waukesha has an effective property tax rate of 1.544%, based on a median home value of $286,600 and median real estate taxes of $4,424. That is higher than the Waukesha County average of 1.211%.
What is the average home price in Waukesha?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waukesha, Wisconsin is $286,600, against $373,600 across Waukesha County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waukesha?
Median gross rent in Waukesha is $1,183 a month, against $2,403 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 Waukesha — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Wisconsin.
- 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.