Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waunakee, Wisconsin
A $490,000 home here costs
$3,935per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,519. The real number is $1,416 higher every month — 56% 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.
Waunakee against Dane County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Waunakee | Dane County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $490,300 | $366,100 |
| Median property tax | $7,641 | $6,276 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.558% | 1.714% |
| Median gross rent | $1,236 | $1,345 |
| Population | 14,927 | 564,777 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waunakee sits in Dane County, which averages a high of 82.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 11.1°F in its coldest, with 40.18" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 640 cooling and 7,097 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dane County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dane County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waunakee?
A $490,000 home in Waunakee, Wisconsin costs approximately $3,935 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,519 principal and interest, $636 property tax, $126 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $408 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waunakee?
Waunakee has an effective property tax rate of 1.558%, based on a median home value of $490,300 and median real estate taxes of $7,641. That is lower than the Dane County average of 1.714%.
What is the average home price in Waunakee?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waunakee, Wisconsin is $490,300, against $366,100 across Dane County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waunakee?
Median gross rent in Waunakee is $1,236 a month, against $3,935 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 Waunakee — 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.