Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waupaca, Wisconsin
A $178,000 home here costs
$1,599per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $915. The real number is $684 higher every month — 75% 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.
Waupaca against Waupaca County and Wisconsin
| Measure | Waupaca | Waupaca County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $177,600 | $192,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,923 | $2,876 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.646% | 1.492% |
| Median gross rent | $748 | $834 |
| Population | 6,314 | 51,714 |
The weather behind that power bill
Waupaca sits in Waupaca County, which averages a high of 82.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 7.6°F in its coldest, with 33.81" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 495 cooling and 7,831 heating degree days, which is what sets the $177 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Waupaca County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Waupaca County
Full Waupaca County cost breakdown · Every county in Wisconsin
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waupaca?
A $178,000 home in Waupaca, Wisconsin costs approximately $1,599 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $915 principal and interest, $244 property tax, $46 homeowners insurance, $245 utilities and $148 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waupaca?
Waupaca has an effective property tax rate of 1.646%, based on a median home value of $177,600 and median real estate taxes of $2,923. That is higher than the Waupaca County average of 1.492%.
What is the average home price in Waupaca?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waupaca, Wisconsin is $177,600, against $192,800 across Waupaca County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waupaca?
Median gross rent in Waupaca is $748 a month, against $1,599 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 Waupaca — 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.